Possession
by code name baron
Summary: Set around Temple of Doom. Yoshimi spirit possessed Jack, but a kiss from Mariko/Kim did not work as promised. Because after 200 years of yearning, one kiss was not enough. How soon before Jack's feelings for Kim turn into an intense compulsion and he - into an obsessive and controlling lover? - AU, slightly (canonical) supernatural elements.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This chapter is essentially a prologue and there is no Kick here. I am making some backstory for the Yoshimi and Mariko to set up his love/obsession. Also, Yoshimi story takes place 200 years ago, so I made some period appropriate assumptions.

* * *

Yoshimi had forgotten how long he had been trapped here. The damn curse kept him in this basement forever and he did not remember the world, the sun, the air, the smell of nature, or even sometimes his own name. He was not sure he was ever a human. Being a ghost had a way of making one forget what being corporeal felt like. To be honest, he did not even have thoughts like that anymore.

Hahaha... Corporeal... If he had a body... He would... touch and taste and bite and drink in.

 _Oh Mariko, so sweet is your nectar, where are you, my love? I long for you._

But one thing he always remembered was Mariko and her face. Just like that the image of a girl appeared in his mind's eye. A girl in her first bloom of spring. Lovely and light. He saw her. He saw her gorgeous dark eyes like glittering jewels, her beautiful raven black locks and her feminine body so slim. She smiled up at him, coy and timid, but oh, so tempting...

He would find her. He swore to himself when he was trapped here. She would be his and he would be free. She had to be somewhere, trapped as him. The last time he saw her she was unhappy. He needed to find her...

 _Is he hurting you? I knew it! Who could be better than me? It is not your fault, sweet Mariko. You thought you could thwart the fate... We are fated. Together, you and I, sweet Mariko. I need to see you again._

Yoshimi sometimes wished he knew how to stop thinking about her. (He didn't.) Because more often than not, when he thought of her, the memories, or wishes (dreams, fantasies, desires) would drag him in. Like right now, it was happening again. He tried to ignore it, forget it, do anything else but think about it, but he was already lost. Just like last time. Just like every time, if he was completely honest with himself. It was like a tide washing over him, and he has very little chance of making it back to the shore until the water decides to release him.

It started with just her face and smile. Bright eyes, pretty bow like lips, soft sounds of the laughter. Sometimes he could reign it in before it went too much farther. But lately, it's becoming harder and harder to control. Maybe it was just becoming harder to control himself. Maybe he didn't really want to control it. Maybe he craved it.

He let the memory wash over him. Better to be there than here, in this dank place.

Mariko was in the garden, reaching to touch the blossom as pale pink as the colour on her cheeks. He was behind her, not breathing, afraid to startle her and ruin the moment. She must have felt him. She raised her eyes slowly to meet his. He watched her swallow – the way her throat moved, drawing his eye to the shadow at the base of her throat and the line of her collarbone. He caught himself and dragged his gaze back to her face, to eyes filled with fear and determination. She was brave and beautiful, and incredibly, incredibly innocent. And, even knowing that, he only just stopped himself from smoothing the worry from her face with his fingertips. This fierce protectiveness shook him again and he scanned the garden for danger.

"What scares you, my love?" he said quietly.

"Nothing... Just... I worry that you never have time for me, for us... You work hard. You art is important to you." She did not say more, but he heard it ( _only now, when its too late! Stupid! You lost her! Shut up!_ ) that she thought his art was more important than her.

"I take great pride in my studies, its true. And soon this studiousness will bear fruit and I shall be the grand-master. Would you like that, Mariko?"

"Yes. Because you want it so much." She raised her eyes again and her smile was soft, tentative. As they continued to look at each other, her smile faded a little and the dark eyes turned more hooded and she bit her bottom lip. He felt himself being drawn in and her lips were closer than ever.

 _To crave the taste of something you never tasted, that is a true torture. Or worse yet, missing something you already had and lost. No matter. I am punished for my cowardice. If only, I had... Sweet Mariko, to drink you in, to touch your perfection... I long for you..._

Distantly he heard the gong that called them to practice and he reluctantly stretched up again from where he bent to bring his face close to hers.

"I have to go. I am sorry to leave you so soon, my love." He saw her eyes dim and the pouty lips purse into a tight line.

"Of course. You art..." she said quietly and turned away to look at the blossom again.

Yoshimi pulled himself out of the memory, regret and anger at himself splitting him anew. _Sweet Mariko_... How often did he spurn her like this? How much did she suffer at his carelessness? Was she harbouring resentment at him at that moment already? Was it then, when he lost her? That almost kiss in the garden, so long ago? Was it when she decided to give a chance to another man?

Bitter jealousy and anger made Yoshimi howl aloud, long used to the fact that no one ever heard him.

 _She left him! For another! What treachery!_

 _No, no. no... It was his own fault, really. She waited as long as she could. It was he was stupid to see it. Let me find you, sweet Mariko. You'll see, I know now. You will be mine and no one, no one, could touch you. Your delicate kisses, lips, face, body, your nectar... all mine..._

At first, when she broke it off with him, he thought it was just a matter of time before they made up. But, Mariko was of marriageable age and her family wanted to see her settled. The long cue of potential suitors started almost immediately and while Yoshimi practiced and waited, her family paraded his gentle Mariko around and it was not too long afterward that one of the suitors made an offer. The marriage has been arranged.

She was not allowed outside without chaperons anymore. And she would not have gone to see him anyway.

 _Traitorous snake! She stole my heart and I am dying without it! I need to get it back, I need to get it from her! I need her to return it! I need... Need... Mariko..._

Yoshimi was too starved to see her to be polite and followed her one day after she brought the offering to the temple.

It was so easy.

She was so beautiful, so stunningly beautiful. And it was just so easy. To hide and watch as she waited for her mother to return to her. To sketch her perfect image in his mind and not cause any suspicion from her. To follow her home and take a spot in the trees where he had a perfect view of her in the room she shared with her sister. To watch her wherever she went and never ever get caught. She never noticed him, which both pained and relieved him. She did not acknowledge his presence even when he came into her room and sat down beside her as she slept.

The first time he slipped into her room, the adrenaline and danger were making his heart pump so loud. But then he focused and saw her lying, curling into herself. He came close, as close as he dared and moved the long lock of hair out of where it fell on her face. She looked peaceful and beautiful, her plump pink lips slightly open and inviting. She was delicate and when he moved the hair entirely off her face he was rewarded with the sight of her slender shoulder visible when the counterpane slipped down. In the scarce moonlight, both her skin and hair looked so fair.

 _To touch it... Is it as delicate as the petal of the blossom? Is it cool and silky? Or warm and supple? Does she taste like the sweetest honey if I just touch her with my lips? Oh, I burn for you, Mariko..._

Mariko... His poor heart cried out and he bit back the whimper.

Still, she must have sensed something, because her face lost its peacefulness and a crease formed between her brows and Mariko murmured something, troubled by the dream she was having. He gently laid his hand against her cheek and she leaned into it. His heart soared... and then plummeted back. She did not know he was here.

Ashamed of what he was doing (a Shaolin martial artist must be honorable!) he escaped the room and worked hard the next day to recompense for his transgression.

But the seed was planted and he followed her again and again. Slipped into her room while she slept and allowed himself this closeness to a woman, who was not his.

 _That covetous boar of her husband does not deserve to breath the same air as her! He must go! He must! Oh, Mariko, you don't have to suffer, no, no, no... You belong to me._

Soon he did not even have that. Mariko married and moved to her husband's house, where the walls were higher and guards, both human and animal, were vigilant. He only saw glimpses of his beautiful Mariko, always serious and pale, in temple and the market. He saw her husband too. Middle-aged, with hard face and thick purse, the man was as pedestrian as Mariko was ethereal. She looked so incongruously young and delicate to be walking alongside that man. Her hair was pulled into the chignon of a married woman, with complicated swirls and little braids, held together by beautiful jade pins. He always loved her hair, but right now he wanted to pull it out this updo and just put the cherry blossom, like she used to do.

 _It's awful... beautiful angel, weighed down by all those heavy jewels, and thick expensive fabrics. Can you fly now, my love? Can you even move as before? I will set you free... I will..._

Mariko... Garden... Blossom...

He was there again. The memory no longer a gentle tide, but a tsunami wave, swallowing him whole. She was reaching the blossom again, but it was not pale pink and beautiful. This bud looked like it froze before it bloomed and the green of the stem was brown and brittle, the petals tinged with streaks of rot. Mariko was pale and sad and when she turned to him, there was only fear. He waited for the soft smile, but all he saw were distant dark eyes and lips pulled tightly into a frown.

"Mariko... What?" he did not know how to finish his question. Was this a dream? Or a fantasy? He could not tell sometimes... It must not be a memory, she never was not welcoming in his memories. This must be the nightmare that his guilty mind conjured. "Mariko, my love..." he whispered brokenly.

"You don't have that right anymore, Yoshimi. You cannot call me that. I am not yours." She spoke and her voice was as pale as her face.

"No! Don't say that! I can change!" He stepped closer and she took a step back, shaking her head.

"I belong to another now," Mariko said listlessly and she did not sound happy at all. Her eyes dropped to the ground and when he looked down he saw then standing at the grave site. It was her father's.

 _Hateful man, who sold his daughter to a rich man._

 _He had to go!_

"I don't... Mariko, what is going on?" He lifted one hand to touch her face and she jerked the head back, almost hitting it on the tree trunk. Alarmed he put his hand on her elaborate updo of the married woman and when he touched the silky hair, the careful chignon fell apart under his hand and the glorious, long, silky strands spilled on her shoulders. He held on to one strand that was so glossy that at certain angle it shone like it was the brightest of metal.

It was so soft, the texture so rich on his skin, the fragrance so intoxicating.

His hand, on its own volition, followed the strand up, until his fingers grazed the skin of her neck.

It was like the lightning strike: just as powerful, just as painful, just as unstoppable...

"You should not be here," she whispered to him, eyes darting to his mouth, just like the last time they were in that orchard.

"No, I really shouldn't," he agreed in that soft, quiet way, that betrayed the fact that she had completely destroyed his defenses, his hands coming up to frame her face and his lips finding hers insistently, the demand in stark contrast to the gentle tone of his voice.

Mariko resisted, putting mere inches of breathing room between them, her fingers curled in the fabric of his gi. "No, no we can't-" she pleaded, more with her conscience than with him, shaking her head fiercely. "We can't do this to my hus..."

Snarling at the mention of another man, he pushed her up against the rough bark of the tree, hands trapping her against the wood. "He has you. But tell me you haven't dreamt of this. Tell me you haven't seen me when you've kissed him and I will leave you alone forever," he murmured, lips a breath away from hers.

The last of color drained from Mariko's pale face, her eyes widening, her lips parting around a disbelieving gasp. " _How_ … How could you possibly know that? You, who never ever was tempted..."

He surged forward, capturing her mouth in a rough, desperate kiss she was hard pressed not to return. "I can't get you out of my head," he whispered against her skin as though it were physically painful for him to admit, fingers tangling in long dark strands. "You're everywhere."

It was wrong, so wrong (she was married! he was honorable!), but she moaned at the press of his fingers on her breast and sank onto his thigh as he pushed his knee between her legs. Mariko shook her head, hand clenching in his gi, nails biting into his shoulder in an apathetic protest...

 _YES... Yes, let me taste it, let me feel, let me live, let me love... Oh, Mariko, you hold my heart now. I cannot be without you..._

He let go of her lips and his hand touches the small vein at the base of the neck that fluttered wildly. Her heartbeat was so fast. He looked at his hand still pressed to Mariko's throat and it was like a ragged and bare twig against the white cloud. She felt like a cloud now, soft and impossible to hold on to.

 _Mariko! Don't go!_

He pressed his hand harder and harder, but she felt like air and her face was fearful again. "What? ...Mariko? What scares you, my love?" He whispered, but his voice was loud and angry.

Her beautiful dark eyes flashed at him and he saw that courage and determination again. Her lips, suddenly chapped and bleeding from the split on one side, moved.

"You."

Just as he knew it would, the memory/fantasy/nightmare/torment were over and he was stuck again in the dank room, grey and spare.

 _NO! Mariko! Mariko... Mariko... Mariko..._

Soon the repetition of the name became the murmur that was as constant as the beat of his heart, when he was alive.

Yoshimi lingered on the memory of the training, remembering the quiet breathing exercises meant to help one to center the mind. Slowly, so slowly, the maddening tattoo of _Mariko_ quieted down to just whispers of something so soft, it was incomprehensible.

 _I need to find her. She is mine._

 _"I belong to another..."_

 _NO,_ he roared again. _NO!_ He knew she was right, but it didn't make the compulsion any less painful to deny.

 _Just let me... Please... I just need one chance... Mariko... Wherever you are, whatever you do, I'll find you. You have my heart now..._

A/N: If it is disjointed, it's on purpose. Yoshimi is not quite right in the head and 200-year haunting did not make it any better.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for the enthusiastic reviews. I am touched. For those of you who wanted Kilton: I like Milton very much myself. He often ends up being a more prominent character in my stories. As for this story: the idea struck me while I was listening to Every Breath You Make (in minor key) and would not leave me alone. I imagined the whole story with Jack being possessed and I am afraid my muse would not cooperate if I change it to Kilton. Don't worry, Milton would be in this story a lot. I hope you would continue reading.

* * *

"Kim! What are you wearing for Halloween?" Grace was asking as she sat down next to the blonde. "And are you going to match with Jack, like couple's outfits?"

Kim threw a withering look at Jack, "I am going as a 20-s flapper girl. And Jack will be a pirate."

Her boyfriend of two months just smiled smugly at the girls, "yeah, I am. Pirates are awesome and I am not dressing up like some Gatsby wannabe."

"Please... You just didn't want to slick your hair and wear suspenders." Kim said pointedly.

"First, slicking my hair is a crime against all this beautiful bouncy volume." Jack scoffed and shook his head, which made his glossy brown mane flow and move, like expensive silk, and at least two girls nearby sighed at the sight. Jack, the smug, noticed and winked at them. Kim scowled, which Jack noticed and he gave her a more genuine smile that always got her. "Second, I don't mind suspenders, but that suit required high waisted _and_ pleated pants. No way. I'll leave that to the actual Gatsby."

"You have read _The Great Gatsby_?" Milton looked impressed.

"Nah... Saw the movie though. Killer soundtrack." Jack answered truthfully and Jerry high-fived him.

"Of course. The movie. Which, you know, always falls short of the actual source material." Milton sniffed.

"Dunno, bro. Got me a B- on the book report." Jack said, smug again, and Jerry high-fived him, again.

Milton rolled his eyes so hard, Kim was worried the irises would disappear inside his eye sockets. "I weep for the state of the public education." He said dramatically and followed up, "and I worry about your education, Jack."

"Don't worry, man. I don't think anyone in the real world would care if I read that book."

"But they would want you to have a well rounded education and Gatsby is an iconic work of the American literature that explores the excesses of the..." Milton was clearly on the roll and nearly everyone groaned. "What? Oh, fine! I'll stop." Milton huffed. "But know that some day, this blatant disregard for books and learning would come and bite your... your behind."

* * *

Kim was ecstatic. She scored the best place to hold the Halloween party. The temple was a grand building and its courtyard with the stone garden was perfect for the party. And there were no adults in sight. Oh, fine... There were two chaperones, but they were quite into their cups (Ha! Take that, Milton. Public school education, baby!) and their supervision was superficial at best. Her outfit was super cute and she liked the shorter, blunt bob style a lot. Once she put the dark red lipstick, which was an unusual choice for her, but it worked with the whole flapper aesthetic, Kim felt an excitement, an energy, flow through her.

Tonight would be great.

Jack was by her side and, though they did not match, he stuck close to her the whole evening and they managed a few hurried kisses here and there, interspersed with laughter and joking.

After today's lunch, when Jack flirted with some of his fans, Kim was a little bummed out. No, Jack wouldn't cheat on her, she was sure. But it was hard sometimes to ignore his popularity and generally charming attitude. The wink, the smile, the physique, the hair... The 'Jack factor.' He was easy-going and liked to have fun, and people were drawn to him.

She didn't mind most of the time. She knew that what they had was a sure and serious 'thing' and his flirtatious nature was just part of the package.

She knew that. In her head. She just sometimes had to remind her own irrational heart.

Jack probably sensed her mood, because he took her side when Milton threw a fit and complimented her costume a lot. He even asked if her lipstick was one of the color-stay variety, making her blush at the implications.

When Milton disappeared to find a phone and try to kill the party, Kim only had to look at Jack once, without saying anything, and he followed their red-head friend. He squeezed her wrist to reassure her and was on the way to stop the spoilsport. She blushed and looked around to see if anyone caught them at this unexpectedly sweet display.

They were gone for a while and she began to wonder if something was wrong, when Jack and Milton came in. Rather, Jack stomped into the courtyard, looking mad and his bandanna missing, and shoving Milton roughly. Their friend stumbled, reluctant to go, and kept shooting puzzled looks at her boyfriend.

Kim walked up to them and bumped Jack's shoulder with hers, "Good job!"

Jack looked startled at this and when she saw his face Kim was shocked herself. It seemed like the dark irises of his eyes spread impossibly over the entire surface of the eye and he looked positively demonic.

"C... c... clever. I like this look. A demon pirate? A ghost pirate? How did you get your eyes to look like this? Lenses?" She stuttered at first, because Jack was staring at her with those freaky eyes and was clenching fists.

"I am neither of those, girl!" The voice was even freakier than eyes, because it sounded like two voices overlaying one another and she shivered at that. "I am Yoshimi and I intend to enjoy this evening. Oh, if only my sweet love could see me now." The out-of-character Jack said and his face had a thousand yard stare.

Ok... That was getting real weird, real fast. And what was this about his sweet love?

"Psst... Psst... Kim!" She looked away from her super strange boyfriend and saw Milton miming for her to come closer.

She took one step to Milton and suddenly Jack was between her and the other boy. "You look familiar, girl. Are you of the Takanada family? And why are you wearing... this?"

The voice was really creepy now and Kim instinctively took a step back. She was not sure what Jack was playing at, but she was not into this role-play and she certainly was pants at improvising. "So, listen, Jack..." she was interrupted when he loudly said _Yoshimi,_ "Fine. Yoshimi... Jack... I am not sure what's going on, but I am not of the Takanada family. And I am not playing this game."

Freaky Jack made a disgruntled noise, "Insolent girl! Give me your name!" The last part was so loud that people started to look at them. Keeping one eye out for the chaperons, Kim wondered if Jack took some drugs and was simply high or something. She was horrified to think that, but, if this was the case, she did not want Jack to get into trouble, so she stepped closer to Jack and put one hand on him.

He stilled under the light touch and looked at her hand, at her face, back to her hand, several times.

"It's Kim." she said quietly, trying to surreptitiously sniff at him.

"Kim. Kim. Kimi. Kimiko." He said just as quietly, but the voice was making this new nickname sound sinister. "I suppose you are a Takanada. Like my Mariko." Once again he had a thousand yard stare and Kim looked at Milton, who was practically dancing a cheer routine by now.

She stepped carefully around her boyfriend, who was definitely not himself at the moment, and hurried over to Milton. "What is going? Did he take something?"

Milton gave her a long and exasperated look, "Kim, if there is a drug that makes people speak like they are possessed and adds strength, then I have not heard of it. Come to think of it, I probably wouldn't have, because the government would keep it under wraps. There are obvious side-effects: the freaky eyes and the single-minded focus. Although that could be an advantage, depending on what the focus is and how that could be achieved..." Milton trailed off obviously thinking of the implications of creating single-minded and strong people, with freaky eyes and voices.

It was Kim's turn to give him a long and exasperated look. She pinched his arm and waived one hand in front of his face, "Milton. I need that single-minded focus now, if you please. We have a problem here."

Milton's eyes refocused on her and he whispered hurriedly, while looking at the spaced-out Jack. "I think he is possessed. By a ghost. Or a spirit. Whichever... I am, not surprisingly, not abreast on the terminology of the paranormal activities on the account of it being a junky voodoo." Milton managed to convey both his certitude that Jack was possessed and the general disdain for the occult matters.

Kim started wondering if Milton also took something that made him insane, as opposed to freaky. "What?" she said eloquently.

"I know how it sounds. But hear me out. Earlier, one of the monks told me the legend of the studious Yoshimi, who died of broken heart when his Mariko left him for another. His spirit is supposedly trapped in this temple." Milton said very quickly and Kim stared at him wide-eyed.

"You are serious, aren't you?"

"Yes! He calls himself Yoshimi, he mentions his sweet love, whose name is Mariko and..." Milton trailed off unsure and Kim motioned for him to go on. "I know it sound really weird when I say this, but when we were inside, I opened a journal that belonged to Yoshimi and... and something moved in the room, invisible but palpable. I think it was the spirit. And it is occupying Jack now..."

She stood there, shocked and unsure, looking between her possibly possessed boyfriend and possibly insane friend.

She was about to unload on him about pulling her leg together with Jack, but Albert chose that moment to approach her. "Kim, this party is mediocre at best. Not surprising, considering I was not involved. As I keep telling you, you need to diversify the people who sit on these committees. For example, a unified theme for costumes is always a good idea. If it was an Elvis theme, you could have been here in a Vegas show girl outfit right now..." He trailed off, pompous and lecherous, looking her up and down and Kim shuddered a little.

Ugh, what a creep...

She gathered her disgust to deliver some put down, when Jack pulled out of his daydream and turned to face Albert.

"You must show proper manners when speaking to a young lady, you fool." His double voice was loud and angry, and his weird eyes were trained on Albert.

"Cute, but hardly scary. You should try harder next time, Jack. And, if I am not mistaken, you yourself thought that bobbing apples was lame. Were you the one to nix that idea?" Albert was smarmy, but still edged a little away from Jack.

"You won't stop making a fool of yourself. Is this how you address your betters?" Jack frowned and stepped closer to the other boy, straitening to tower over him.

"B...betters? What? Just because you are strong? I hardly think it qualifies as..." But Albert didn't get to finish, because Jack grabbed him by the throat and lifted him clean off his feet. Albert's face reddened and he wheezed, "all... Right... Ok... You are... more than... just... stronger... Argh... Help..." He clawed frantically at Jack's hand and Kim gasped when she realized it was all happening in real life.

"Jerry, Milton, do something!" She spoke urgently and Jerry sauntered over and tried to throw an arm over Jacks shoulder.

"Hey, buddy, why don't we let the nerd go, huh?"

Jack pushed Jerry away with another hand, still holding Albert in the air. "He needs to learn manners."

Jerry stumbled so much, the push must have been much harder than he expected, and straightened, "Milton, some assist here would be nice." He said wincing.

Milton approached Jack and spoke in a placating tone, "I am sure Albert here learned his lesson and would never address a young lady with anything other than a total respect. Isn't that right, Albert?" The unfortunate boy nodded as much as he could.

"You are tying to trick me. You were there in the basement keeping me trapped." Jack growled deep and inadvertently squeezed Albert's throat harder. At which point Albert fainted and Jack let his slackened body go.

Milton looked at the crumpled Elvis stupefied and slowly looked up to Jack, who started to approach him.

"Ahhhh... Jack..." At another low growl, he corrected, "Yoshimi. I am a friend. We can help you find your lost love."

Jack stopped his progress, "Mariko? You know where she is? Who is hiding her from me? Mariko, my sweet blossom, I am coming..." He trailed off once again and Kim had enough.

"How do we get him to leave?" Apparently Kim was closer to the same insane end of the spectrum as Milton. Plus, she did not see other, better, explanations and they needed a solution.

"I don't know! I told you I am not familiar with the paranormal." Milton huffed and Kim's heart fell a little.

"All right. I'll look through his journals and may be something will come up. Keep an eye on him, please."

She made to go, but Jack turned to her and once more placed himself between her and wherever she was heading. "Kim...iko, I must find her. Where is Mariko?" he asked earnestly, his voice going slightly breathless at the name of his lost love and Kim was moved by the obvious love there.

"I will find her and bring her here. Where she is you can't go. Not yet..." She said softly and Jack started nodding along.

"Of course. She is not free right now. My little caged angel... And I am not welcome there. But you are. You are a Takanada yourself, young Kimiko. You'll bring her to me, right?" He spoke urgently, his weird eyes pinning her in spot.

That look... It was... Intense. And really-really hard to let go of. Like, Kim felt the connection between them at the moment, so strong it made her shiver. She could not remember Jack ever looking at her like that. This was a dark, impassioned, encompassing and fierce feeling, whether it was love or obsession Kim could not tell, but she hoped that they could get the spirit to leave Jack soon. She didn't think anyone could withstand this feeling for too long.

She left in a hurry to find the journal and a solution, trying to shake off the feeling of looking into the abyss when she and Yoshimi locked eyes.

The spirit was off its rocker and belligerent. They needed to free Jack soon.

A/N: Ok, thoughts? opinions? critique?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I should probably put a warning here. There is some interaction with the Yoshimi, who possessed Jack, that might come across as not entirely consensual here. So, it might be a trigger for some.

* * *

The room was dank and dark and Kim shivered a little at the feeling of despondence that filled the space. She saw the painting of the man, who looked serious and intent. She wondered if this the infamous Yoshimi. He was definitely studious looking. She grabbed the journal from the table and tried to flip through yellowed pages as gently, but quickly, as she could without ruining them. Most of the writings weren't comprehensible to her because they were in kanji, or kana*, she wouldn't know the difference. Frustrated, she was about to give up, when she saw the ink drawing of the girl's face. She was young, with rounded cheeks and full lips. If it wasn't for heavy lidded eyes and brunette hair, the girl could have been Kim. No wonder he thought that she was Takanada. Her and Mariko could have been sisters.

A thought occurred to her and she, while fully aware that it was an insane plan (and she was also aware that she was Milton level crazy for even contemplating it), decided to go with it. She thought she saw Stacy Uri and went to the only Japanese American girl she knew to score some appropriate clothes.

Stacy thought Kim was insane, but helped her anyway. Kim was pressed for time and rushed through the costume change, praying that no one took pictures or that Yoshimi was not paying too close of attention. In the end Kim still looked like herself, only dressed a in kimono and dark wig, but that was all she had and there were no other options.

By the time she got to the courtyard, Jack stood alone with the rest of party goers giving him a wide berth. When she approached him, she thought she knew why. While it was possible to think that eyes and voice were simply party tricks, Jack, or rather Yoshimi inside her boyfriend, was muttering gibberish to himself. As she came closer the ramblings became clearer, but no less weird.

 _Mariko... Traitor... No, sweet... Coward... Mine... Just one chance... I'll show you... Let me taste it..._

No wonder people stayed away. Between the freaky eyes, voice and now apparently kooky talking to himself, Jack was the portrait of mental instability. Milton came to her and she saw that he was rumpled and scared. Jerry was actually on the ground, next to Albert. Both were awake, but remained prostrate, obviously afraid of Yoshimi.

"What happened?" she whispered, looking over her friend.

"Yoshimi is actually insane and made Jack strong. Stronger. And obsessed. He wants Mariko." Milton stopped a looked her over, "Why are you... Oh, I see... Do you really think it will work?"

"I am not sure of anything, really. But Mariko did look like me a little. It is worth the shot." Kim gathered her strength and turned to Milton on more time, "If things look bad, try to, I don't know, distract him?" she wasn't sure what she was actually asking, but Yoshimi was a serious threat and she was scared.

She came to stand in front of Jack and it took him a second to notice her presence. But then the change in him was remarkable and instantaneous.

Awe, elation, happiness, joy... love, were shining from his eyes (yes, the freaky, all black, eyes were shining like large chips of obsidian), devotion was radiating from his face and when he spoke, even his doubled voice sounded soft and reverent.

"Mariko... My sweet love, my tired eyes deceiving me... I traveled through time and space to be with you. I grew weary I'd never find you..."

"You found me Yoshimi. You can rest easy now. Let go... Rest..." Kim wasn't sure what exactly to say, but if he searched for Mariko all this time, resting would be appropriate.

"Just to gaze upon your lovely face is not enough. Don't you know how I suffered? Stuck in that plane where there is no light, or touch, or smell, or feeling... I could only remember how sky and sun looked, how your face looked... I could only dream..." Yoshimi's voice grew less besotted and more insistent.

Kim knew not what to do at this point, her plan has been exhausted. "I know you searched for me for a long time. And you succeeded. I am here."

"Just a kiss from your lovely lips, sweet and honeyed... I dreamt of it and I will not leave without tasting them." Yoshimi was certainly single minded and Kim winced internally.

How was she going to explain it to Jack, when he returns to himself? It was him, and yet, not him at all. Jack, despite all his cockiness, was surprisingly prone to jealousy over any attention Kim paid to others.

She figured it would be a justified sort of kissing. It would be to save Jack himself from the possession.

"I... I... A kiss? I... Yes." Was all that she could say, when she once again got trapped by the impossible laser-like focus and intensity of Yoshimi gaze. His unfathomably dark eyes grew a little softer and warmer and he stepped up to her.

His one hand lifted, and followed the outline of her face, without touching, making her anticipate the connection, before dropping to her neck, where the single digit lightly pressed against the pulse point.

"So soft... And warm... Like velvet... I was wrong all this time... You are... You are... Beautiful..."

His eyes met hers again and the abyss was no longer just dark. The light, that shone there at the thought of Mariko, was now like a vortex of fire and sparkle and Kim felt herself drawn to it. It no longer felt weird or scary. No, this light was strong and warm and it called to her. She was pulled by an invisible force that reached out to her and caressed her senses.

Only now she realized that she was reaching up to his eye level, her body straightening, but the touch and pull were actually Yoshimi's hand on her shoulder, bringing her to him.

"Sweet Mariko, your reticence is understandable. You are afraid. Please, do not be so. I will never hurt you. How can I? You are my heart now, I need you always." As he spoke, his hand snuck up her arm and shoulder to reach the hairline. Kim was kind of taken by the situation and momentarily forgotten the fact that she wore a wig, vaguely reminiscent of the traditional updo of Japanese women.

"You know, I always stood a fraction too close to you whenever you were at the temple or the market. I couldn't touch you, but sometimes, sometimes I would touch your hair. I hated it when it had to be pulled up by those jeweled pins. I hated that boar putting his mark on you!" He was upset now, the jaw clenching visibly and Jack never looked this mad before. She whispered something soothing, like _there, there,_ and his face relaxed. "Much better when it is free with only a fresh blossom in it." Yoshimi was talking quietly as he lightly run his fingers over Kim's wig. He found the hair chopstick that was part of the wig and pulled at it gently.

Kim gasped and prepared herself internally for the total fiasco. She had no time to properly secure her hair away and attach the wig. She simply pulled it on, like one would a hat. At Yoshimi's touch, the wig slipped off and slid down her back, her own hair tumbling down around her shoulders.

Yoshimi's eyes widened and he slowly ran fingers through her own, decidedly un-brunette, hair. He played with one strand and even wrapped it around single finger and then released. Kim did not dare to breath, not sure if it was because of the fear that the plan was falling apart or because Yoshimi's face was not simply soft and intent, but also thoughtful and a little dangerous.

"So this is how you look now. You hair is no longer the colour of the night, but has the brightness of the day. It still shines like the noble metal and precious stones... At night, it used to shine like silver, and now it is like gold... It still is the softest of silks..." If it were any other man, he would be whispering, but the possessed Jack's voice was carrying over the courtyard and the poetic language was entrancing.

He stood too close to her. If she didn't look at the eyes of heard the voice it was still Jack standing in front of her. And she still had the same reaction to such closeness.

Jack drew her irresistibly, their physical connection undeniable. she was always aware of Jack even when they were juniors. But now that they were older, and he taller and more filled out, the awareness became the desire for touch. And she wasn't the only one. She'd been in his presence constantly and his magnetism was undeniable. Every person around felt it. He was the leader that people naturally followed, listened to, looked up to.

Her eyes traveled up his lean torso to his intensely focused face, always so beautiful. And for the first time, she saw Jack's mouth curve into a feral smile, like he could tell that she was attracted. That sight shook her, tore at her better judgement, and at the slightest pressure from his hand on her shoulder, she stepped helplessly forward and placed her arms flat on his chest.

Jack, no, Yoshimi gave a deep growl of approval and enfolded her tightly against his body, curving her against him. One hand cradled her head, tilting it back as he stooped to take her mouth.

"Sweet Mariko, you are beautiful in every disguise. You cannot fool me and they cannot hide you. I will always find you." He rasped into her ear and finally, finally, put his lips on hers. A kiss that was almost as exciting to Kim as the kiss with Jack, but terrifying nonetheless. It was all very confusing.

It started as the gentle pressure, soft and innocent, but quickly grew harder and far more intent.

Why wasn't the kiss working? Why was Yoshimi still here? Kissing her?

She tried to pull back. Unsuccessfully.

The pressure was relentless and his hand on the back of the head was pressing her closer, fingers twisting almost painfully into the hair. She could barely move her head at this point and helplessly followed the lead.

Some part of her didn't want to actually kiss a man, who wasn't really her boyfriend, but Yoshimi was undaunted and opened his mouth slightly to lick at her reluctant lips, and when that didn't work, he grunted - deep, annoyed and frustrated - and bit lightly at her lower lip. She gasped, a strategic mistake on her part, and Yoshimi dove for a slight opening, tongue plunging in, teeth clashing almost painfully, and his arms turning into a vise on her body.

The kiss was... It was both welcome and not... She could feel the passion, the emotion, the desire, but was it Jack?... Yoshimi?... both of them? She responded, she did: the power of kiss was unstoppable.

Kim felt breathless, light-headed, faint... She actually couldn't breath and the tight hold of Jack's spirit-enhanced hands was nearly painful. She pushed ineffectually at his chest, feeble attempts against this strong body. She even tried to kick, hitting the shin, to no avail. Yoshimi simply pulled her up in his embrace, so her feet were dangling a foot off the ground and she had no leverage anymore, his arms the only thing keeping her afloat. His hold on her became unbearably hard and some lizard part of her brain was genuinely scared, probably recognizing the predator. It must have been the instinct of survival that made her bite the invading tongue and she tasted the metallic flavor of blood, which made her gag a little.

Yoshimi pulled back slightly, startled, and Kim saw a bit of blood at the corner of Jack's, no, Yoshimi's, mouth. The all-black eyes became hard and angry. He narrowed them and they darted to her lips once more. She gulped at the vicious look on his face, snarl twisting his mouth a little. He smirked, licked the blood off, and brought her back for another kiss, brutal and painful, because he bit at the lower lip hard enough to make it bleed and now the tangy taste in her mouth was both their blood mixing. Yoshimi didn't seem to care, kissing her deep, drinking in, stealing the last of breath from her, and Kim was losing the last bits of strength, faint and nauseous, when something happened. It felt like air pressure lifted or something, because she felt the palpable movement in the air and Yoshimi pulled back.

She gulped greedily at the precious air, not sure if he tried to kiss her again, when the face in front of her twisted and crumbled with obvious pain. His hold on her slackened a little and she renewed her struggle against him, but he squeezed her to him so hard she gasped and felt the pressure as her ribcage was compressed.

"NnnooO!" A guttural, inhuman, cry tore from Yoshimi, as he closed his eyes. "Not yet! I haven't had enough!"

He opened his eyes and Kim was mesmerized by the swirling dance of colours inside. Obsidian black gave way to the familiar warm hazel, and back again. The hands on her turned to claws as Jack/Yoshimi curled his fingers, as if clutching to her desperately and she whimpered in discomfort.

"Mari..." The garbled cry turned to a gentle call, "Kim... Are you...?"

"No, Mariko!"

"Kim! What?"

The back and forth of voices and colours was giving her a whiplash and her precarious position at the center of this struggle was making her gasp as the pressure was unbearable.

Then something happened. She felt a shock of being hit and when she looked up behind Jack/Yoshimi, she saw that Milton hit them with a stick.

Suddenly they eyes in front of her turned all black again and she was dropped from the embrace and was placed firmly behind Yoshimi.

"You! You dare to take my Mariko from me?" The doubled voice was thunderous and Kim swore she saw the fog or mist gather around them.

Yoshimi took a step towards Milton, crouching and gnashing teeth like a rabid dog.

Milton looked terrified and Kim was terrified as well. She knew now the strength this possessed man had and she had suspicion that Yoshimi moderated himself for Mariko's sake. Milton could not stand up to Jack on a regular day. Now, with Yoshimi in the driver's seat, Milton's well-being was in danger.

She screwed up the rest of her courage and stepped in front of Yoshimi, standing firm, despite the bleeding lip and general feeling of being roughed around.

"Yoshimi! Please, stop!"

He paused, head tilting to the side, like an animal listening to the noises around it. His eyes were constantly darting between Kim and Milton, assessing and dangerous. He finally fully settled his attention on her, the weight of it as palpable as the previous bruising embrace. He looked... betrayed. And hurt. And angry.

"You choose him? Mariko..."

Kim was honestly very afraid at this point. Now Yoshimi was jealous and betrayed and it looked to be a dangerous combination.

"I do not! He is a friend. He helped to find me."

"And now he wants you to himself." Yoshimi began to step around her and Kim, unthinkingly stepped up to him and placed one hand on his chest, halting him.

"You don't have to worry about him. I am yours." She said in a rush, belatedly realizing that her words sounded like a confession. Well, the ends justified the means.

Yoshimi's face lit up and he brought both of his hand to hold her face. "Truly?"

She only nodded, praying that it was what the restless spirit needed.

"You are mine? And only mine?" the all-black eyes sparkled and shone as if lit up from within.

She nodded again, unsure now if this was a correct course to take.

"And I am yours, my sweet love. Forever..."

He kissed her again.

This kiss was gentle and sweet, deep and comforting, endless and all-too-important.

This was it, Kim thought on the edge of reasoning, this kiss would finally release the spirit.

They parted and she saw the swirl of black and hazel and then... the great streak of mist left Jack's body, twisting around them.

She barely noticed, because she finally could see Jack, his warm hazel eyes and easy smile. It looked a little strained, and the small amount of blood in the corner was an unpleasant reminder, but Kim did not care at this point.

"Jack...?"she said tentatively and he nodded. "Oh, thank god!" She exclaimed and proceeded to kiss her boyfriend once again, unaware of the streak of yellow mist that lingered around them and slowly seeped back into Jack.

Kim was too happy to have this Halloween to be over.

*Kanji and kana are forms of the Japanese script.

A/N: I fretted over this chapter for so long... It's too much, right? Let me know...


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: thank you all for kind (too kind sometimes, and funny) reviews and words of support. I am floored by all the praise. I have enabled the 'moderate reviews' feature to stop some guest users from highjacking names of other users. Thank you for reading.

* * *

Jack was holding Kim tight, or as tight as he dared, relishing the moment. He felt... weird: wrung-out and invigorated at the same time.

When the spirit took hold of him, it didn't feel like the cold piercing touch of some foreign invasion. Instead, it was like a great rush of shockwave that came at him from all directions at once, so much so that he was afraid he'd be flattened under its force.

But really, he didn't have time or even awareness of self, to worry too much. Yoshimi, when he took control over him, was determined to find Mariko and his thoughts were jumbled, inchoate, and incoherent impressions and feelings.

Mariko, her face, garden, her sleeping face, some man with unpleasant features, a grave, pale hands, delicate throat, someone's body crumpled on the ground, fallen blooms...

His feelings were harder to parse out: love, fear, jealousy, anger, longing, loathing, protectiveness all were mixed in into one constant onslaught with Mariko being the focus, the cause, the result, the outcome, the desire of them all. It was... intense. And confusing.

Jack was not displaced or unaware of what was going on. Rather he was there, trapped like in a bad dream, where he couldn't wake up, couldn't move, couldn't speak, and had to live through the nightmare like a passive observer.

Inside Jack screamed for the spirit to leave, but Yoshimi was insane and Jack's voice was just part of many thoughts and impressions that man had. The poor soul even responded, snarling, as if talking to himself, to shut up, that he only needed one chance. Now Jack knew that loathing was actually addressed at Yoshimi himself.

When Yoshimi saw Kim, interacted with her, Jack forced himself, really focused on reaching through Yoshimi. Somehow, it made Yoshimi notice Kim. Actually stop the incessant loop of _Mariko-mine-lost-coward-love-need-forever-Mariko_ and pay attention. It must have been Jack's doing, because he felt Yoshimi look at Kim carefully and somehow, both of them thought the same thing: Mariko and Kim looked similar. Yoshimi's focus wavered a little when Kim touched him, Kim's face overlapping with Mariko's, and it was the spirit that demanded Kim's name.

Jack recoiled at the thought of the insane man noticing Kim, but soon Yoshimi was back on his usual loop.

 _Mariko-mine-lost-coward-love-need-forever-Mariko_

Jack was both horrified and pleased (Kim wasn't to be ogled) when Yoshimi 'punished' Albert for disrespect towards Kim, although he doubted that the man knew exactly what the Vegas show-girl meant. Still, the viciousness, or rather compete disregard for whether Albert was fine, made Jack fight more for the control. And he almost succeeded, but...

But Milton's interference made Yoshimi jealous. Well, more jealous. The feeling was like poison - it started as a suspicion and quickly, amazingly fast, turned into full on paranoid fear of losing Mariko and hate of the redhead before him, who Yoshimi thought was one of the captors.

He would give credit to his friend. Milton diverted a brewing disaster by mentioning the lost love, and just like that Yoshimi was back to his loop of obsession.

 _Mariko-mine-lost-coward-love-need-forever-Mariko_

Kim was leaving and Jack knew that she was trying to find a solution. He suspected she'd realize she looked like the ill-fated Mariko and he really didn't want her to attempt fooling the spirit. Yoshimi was unstable and Jack feared what he might do if Kim's disguise was not sufficient. Yoshimi would think that his friends were trying to fool him and his retaliation would be nasty.

He prepared himself to push again, to try to break through, but was distracted when people tried to talk to him and all he could do was to temper Yoshimi, who had little patience for 'children.'

When Kim appeared the force of Yoshimi's elation was so strong, his love so powerful, his happiness so overwhelming, even the incessant loop has changed its tone.

 _Mariko-mine-found-love-need-forever-Mariko_

Jack could not do much, but sit back and watch. Watch in growing fascination and dismay as Kim acted like Mariko and Yoshimi, unstable and insane, was mesmerized. It was when the dark wig fell off Kim's head and her familiar golden tresses fell around her face and onto his, no, Yoshimi's, no, their, hand - it was confusing because Jack felt it both as himself and Yoshimi and for both of them the touch was welcomed - that Jack once again tried to push through and prevent the disaster of the disappointed spirit.

Whether it was because of Jack, or because Yoshimi was delusional - Jack saw the memories of Yoshimi watching, while Mariko slept (a _nd, oh god, she did look like Kim with her hair looking like shining silver in the moonlight and her body deliciously vulnerable, want to touch, want to hold)_ \- so the spirit was overlaying images of the dark haired Mariko, with Mariko in moonlight, over Kim with her blonde hair. Jack was getting confused, unsure if it was a memory or a dream, but the image was blurry and unstable and only Kim's bright eyes stood out to him, no, Yoshimi, no,  them ( _he wanted the spirit gone, he was not sure where Yoshimi's vision ended and his own began, and, oh, her bright eyes were jewels in the darkness)._

What happened next was the strangest, most surreal, and scariest experience of his life so far.

Yoshimi wanted a kiss ( _crave, need, desire, hunger, long, yearn, lust, shut up!, she's not your's, NO, mine!)._

He saw that Kim was conflicted and he pushed hard to break through to try to reach her and soothe her. He only managed to sway Yoshimi to be considerate and speak gently to Mariko/Kim.

The kiss was equally gentle at first and he felt Yoshimi's entire being re-focus to the point, where they were joined, and Jack tried again to expel the spirit. What happened instead was him joining the kiss as he felt Kim's lips as if she were kissing him. With no addition of the ghost. She was sweet, like summer honey. Like he wanted it to last forever, lost in the sensation of the soft lips and heady scent of her hair.

But Yoshimi - drunk on the sensation and thirsting for more - fought Jack for control, needing for the connection with Mariko ( _so sweet is your nectar, please, I want more, don't deny me, you are mine, forever, Mariko)_ , pushing hard at her lips and pressing her head forward. Once again, Jack was powerless, and had been taken along for a ride. They haven't kissed like this yet and the new experience was... welcome and not _(I'm here, don't, yes, I want, no, yes)._

He felt Kim's struggle against the kiss, his hope surging that he could break the connection, but being squashed by a vicious and angry spirit.

 _Mariko-mine-found-love-need-forever-Mariko. Mariko is MINE! You can't have her! No one can!_

 _Let go! You got what you wanted! Let go!_

 _NO! NEVER! Never enough! Shut up! See, she likes this. She likes this. She likes me. She wants me._

Kim, wonderful and brave Kim, bit them on the tongue and they had to pull back.

 _Yes! See, she does not like it!_

 _SHUTUP! She is mine! And she will like it! Eventually..._

Yoshimi surged and pushed Jack back again and suddenly the kiss turned brutal and bloody as Yoshimi bit her lip hard and drew blood ( _so sweet, her essence is so sweet, does she taste the same everywhere? Shutup! Does she?)_. His girlfriend, valiant and strong, fought against the kiss and the bone-breaking hold that Jack, no, Yoshimi,  they, had on her. (Sorry, sorry, sorry, small, so small, want to hold you tight, want to...more).

The taste of her blood - salty, tangy, _sweet_ \- did something to Jack and he felt new power to push through and it was like trying to run in your sleep. He felt like molasses, but for a brief moment, the flickering image of Mariko superimposed on Kim cleared and he saw only Kim, her face pale, eyes wide, and her lip bleeding.

"NNNOOOO!"

"Kim...? What..?"

Just as quickly the image flickered again and Mariko/Kim was back. Yoshimi fought back.

 _Mariko-mine-found-love-need-forever-Mariko-he can't have you-no one can._

They struggled for a moment and he was dimly aware that Kim whimpered in pain and he was dismayed that inadvertently he, no, Yoshimi, no, they, hurt Kim.

Finally something hit them on the back and the shock made Jack lose his concentration and once again, Yoshimi was in driver's seat and the possessive, protective and jealous loop began again.

 _Mariko-mine-traitor-love-another-boar-mine-forever-Mariko-protect-danger-MINE!_

They turned around and it was the redhead from the basement _(Milton!)_ who hit them on the back to let go of Mariko _(Kim!)._

He stalked the threat and quickly assessed that the boy was hardly a threat _(Milton! Friend!)_. Still a lesson would be in order. It seemed that the sweet Mariko _(Kim)_ was surrounded by disrespectful youths.

 _Kim can take care of herself! And I can always help if she needs it! Let go!_

 _Sweet and gentle Mariko... I will protect you..._

He, no, Yoshimi, no, they, felt savage satisfaction at the sight of the boy scrambling away. _Yes, no one can have her._

They stopped when Mariko/Kim stepped in front of them, rumpled and pale, but defiant and fierce.

 _My kisses left her so fetchingly unkempt.. Sweet Mariko..._

 _Kim, are you hurt? I am so sorry..._

She stepped up, placing a trembling hand on their chest and spoke urgently to leave the boy/Milton alone. The surge of jealous anger was so toxic, Jack was momentarily reeled back, because the cause of it was boy/Milton, but the unfortunate recipient would be Mariko/Kim.

As soon as he realized that he fought again and it was then that Mariko/Kim said that she was his, no, Yoshimi's, no, their's.

There was a moment of perfect clarity.

The incessant loop stopped. The anger, paranoia, jealousy... stopped.

Mariko was Yoshimi's.

Kim was his.

She was their's.

A kiss that followed was happiness, love, calm, promise, hope and awe. It was perfect. Just like she was. He knew it in his bones that she spoke the truth and so did he.

He pulled back and her image solidified from the flickering of brunette/silver/golden haired girl into an face of a beautiful young angel in her first bloom of youth, bright and light.

The light around them was getting stronger and he felt the tugging that was pulling at his senses. Not unpleasant, but noticeable.

She was smiling at him, her eyes searching and troubled, so he nodded when she asked him something.

 _Anything for you, my love._

She kissed him as a reward and he was happy, feeling free and at peace for the first time in a long while.

They separated and her image settled into that of a blonde girl with bright eyes and troublingly swollen lip.

 _KIM!_

 _MARIKO!_

 _LET GO!_

 _NO!_

 _YOU HAVE TO GO!_

 _SHE IS MINE!_

 _SHE IS MINE!_

 _SHE IS... mine... Sweet Kimiko..._

 _Kim... Oh thank god! Kim..._

 _Kim..._

Yes, Kim...

It was over. He felt wrung-out, but relieved. He watched Kim as she fussed over him, running gentle hands over him, the sensation so soothing, it was practically putting him to sleep. He returned the favor and carefully, oh so carefully, traced the bitten lips and slid his hands over her fragile frame. She was so small boned and light.

She was talking to their friends, and he studied her profile, trying not to think how close he'd come to losing her tonight. Kim was intent on dismissing it as nothing, no doubt thinking that he had no idea what went on while Yoshimi was here, but he had been conscious and present, the one who'd watched her struggling, the one who felt her push, the one who felt her bites... _Such a feisty girl she was_. _..to taste her again.._

"You're staring."

He gave a little start at Kim's vague accusation.

"Have I got something on my face?" Kim put a self-conscious hand to her face.

He shook his head. "No." The he realized she did. "Actually, you've got a smudge right there." He touched his own chin to indicate where it was.

She rubbed a hand there, missing the faint pink mark.

Blood... From kisses... His kisses...

"Let me," he said quietly and his heart throbbed when she trustingly and without hesitation came up to him.

He slowly cleaned the smudge and, as if compelled, softly kissed the spot. "I am so sorry..."

"Don't be. I... I know you were not yourself." She said just as quietly and he pressed his forehead to hers, unable to look into her eyes, knowing that he was there, all this time.

"I don't... You are... Thank you..." he could not quite vocalize what he wanted to tell her. That he did not deserve her, that she was incredible, that he was thankful she was his.

"Always..." Kim, merciful and kind, pledged and he was floored by this.

"Always."

Because it was true.

He slept so heavily that night, that though his dreams were violent and dark, he hardly remembered them the next morning. He was left with impressions of memories, dreams, emotions. Like the darkness only highlighted by the silver glimmer; like the sensation of something impossibly soft under his fingers, gossamer under the hard digits; like waterfall of silk around him, at times dark, light, gold; like the feeling of calm replaced by dangerous anger when there was no light or softness or waterfall...

A/N: oof, writing this part was surprisingly hard. I am trying to contrast and blend the spirit and Jack's mind views during the possession and a bit afterward.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: There were some comments about the nature of the possession now. I hope this chapter clarifies some of it. I don't want to reveal too much in notes, but I have carefully dropped hints already about some of it. I use language/vocabulary to show the subtle parts. Yoshimi is there, poisoning Jack slowly...

* * *

When she woke up the morning after the ill-conceived Halloween party, Kim felt sore and tired. Her dreams were troubled, as she was in the dark and foggy forest, running from creatures that she could hear, but could not see. Every now and then there were voices, shouts and cries that would startle, scare and call to her, and she woke up tangled in her sheets and a fine sheen of sweat covering her forehead.

Right... Nightmares... She supposed it would be expected after the roller-coaster of the evening she had.

After the spirit has left, Jack was understandably upset and clung to her a little, constantly checking her for injuries. She could see that he was feeling guilty for being the one to cause them, even if he was not himself at the time. She reassured him that her injuries, if one would call them that, were minor at best. A bite mark on her lip, which already closed and stopped bleeding, was inflamed a little, giving her an appearance of a busted lip. In general, her lips felt sore, as Yoshimi was not holding back when he kissed her and she expected that her mouth would be swollen for a while. There were tender spots on her head, where the hair that was tangled in Yoshimi's hands was pulled tight.

And today she could feel the bruises that formed wherever he clutched at her: her upper arms and her back. In fact, her entire ribcage felt bruised and she vividly recalled Jack, no, Yoshimi, with a vicious smirk pressing her hard against him after she bit his tongue.

She shook her head and went to the bathroom to begin the day. One look at the her face made her stop and sigh heavily.

Her lip was what one would call a 'fat lip.' It was noticeably thicker on the left and made her entire lower lip look twice its normal size. She also had dark circles under eyes and the overall paleness she came to associate with poor sleep. She looked over the arms and there was definite finger shaped bruises forming on usually unblemished surface. She turned this way and that to inspect her torso and was glad to see that there were no visible bruises, despite the soreness she felt there. Still, she was in no shape to be seen, unless she wanted to answer constant questions and add fuel to the gossip mill. As it was, the events of last evening were warped through the grapevine and majority of people thought that Jack lost his cool, allowed his jealous nature to take over, beat up Albert for hitting on Kim, and proceeded to demonstrate to others just how 'together' they were.

All of this Grace delivered to her in one breathless tirade, after Kim was already home and managed to soothe Jack enough to get him to go. Grace sounded at times envious of what she perceived to the the 'totally hot' make-out with kissing just this side of aggressive; and upset, because she thought Jack got jealous of Jerry as well, seeing as he also was beat up by Jack.

Kim reassured Grace, and by extension the greater population of Seaford High that, while Albert was his usual lecherous self, Jerry was actually trying to protect Albert from Jack. Who was not exactly jealous, but merely repulsed that his girlfriend was objectified so blatantly. As for kisses... Yeah, Kim left that part without comments because there was not much to tell. Grace was right that what onlookers saw was a passionate and aggressive make-out. Only it was not with her boyfriend, but with the spirit that possessed her boyfriend. And passionate was actually intense, and aggressive was nearly brutal. (And in her heart of hearts, Kim felt like a traitor for somehow responding to the kiss, at least at first...)

So, yeah... Kim left that part out.

* * *

Jack slowly fought his way out of a dark, dreamless sleep. He blinked against the morning light, trying to work out where he was. Something was draped over his nose and mouth and he sleepily pulled at a... ribbon? It was silky, black and, upon closer examination, turned out to be a headband. He remembered seeing it yesterday as part of the costume. A light floral scent filled his nostrils as he returned the soft fabric to his face. Its heady fragrance was deeply familiar but he could not quite put the finger on it. It felt like this scent was part of him and his life and it was important. Pulled from his musings by a sound of the cooking downstairs, he sat up in bed and was immediately forced to put a hand to his throbbing head. Jack felt like he'd been hit by a truck. What happened last night? He did not think they spiked the punch.

Oh... Memories of last night flooded him and he winced at the onslaught of all the events. Right... Party, Milton in a strop, basement, energy rushing at him... Spirit! That's right! Jack swung his legs over the side of the bed and attempted to stand up, when he felt something soft and ticklish under his feet. Bending over he picked up a small silk floret that he last saw on...

 _Kim_...

He blinked. _This was Kim's flower and her headband?_ More memories of last night resurfaced in his brain. Jack remembered the press of soft lips against his and he unconsciously put a hand to his lips at the memory.

 _They kissed last night, like they never kissed before. So, so... hard and hot. Or was it Yoshimi?_ Jack could recall the taste of her in his mouth and he felt his heart skip a beat and then continue beating with an faster tattoo. Blood... He remembered blood soaked kisses - which somehow weren't gross, but rather engrossing - and hungry hands.

Jack ran an unsteady hand through his hair. Did he hurt her last night? No... He seemed to recall hovering over her on the front porch of the Crawfords' house and her convincing him that she was fine. Was she? Was she just trying to get rid of him? He would not blame her... She probably had enough of him to last her a lifetime. Was she done with him? His heart lurched at the thought and he took a steadying breath... No, they were still dating, because she gave him small kiss on the cheek.

He needed to call her and confirm that she was fine, that no injuries developed overnight. Yes... that sounded like a plan.

He grabbed his phone and was about to call her, when he realized that it was still 7 in the morning. Remembering how much of a not-morning person Kim was, Jack decided to wait.

He went downstairs where his parents were in the middle of breakfast, joining them. They teased him about the party, joking that he must have had a really good time, because he went to sleep immediately, but apparently talked about Kim in his sleep. He was grouchy a little with them and they teased him more about it, but soon left to run errands and he was left to his own devices.

Time crawled very slowly and he kept checking the time to make to call her the moment it was polite to do so.

When he did call, with rapidly beating heart, which he attributed to the feeling of guilt, she answered on the third ring and sounded breathless. Was she all right? What was she doing?

"Kim, how are you? Are you in any pain or discomfort?" He jumped straight to the important topic and was rewarded with a tinkling laughter.

"I am fine. No new bruises or injuries." She said quickly. "And you? How are you feeling?"

"I am good. Better now that I am speaking to you." He said honestly and she laughed again.

"Charming sweet-talker."

"I think I would feel even better if I saw you. Are you free today?" He asked hopefully, suddenly needing to see Kim in good health and spirits.

"Oh, I have tons of homework to finish. Planning that party took a lot of my time. Some other time? Tomorrow maybe?" She sounded sincere and he, though disappointed, let it go.

"Do you know if Albert is all right? I know he was seriously gross to you, but I do recall him fainting, and after... I sort of forgot to ask."

"He is fine. Probably will stay away from me for good. Which makes me relieved. Most guys would probably give me a wide berth from now on..." Her tone was wry and Jack, who was at first alarmed at the notion of other guys approaching Kim, relaxed.

"Yeah? I wonder why?" He said mildly.

"Because the way they see it, the way the rest of the school is taking about it, you were jealous and beat Albert up until he passed out."

"What? Jealous of Albert? Please..." He felt reassured that he and Kim were fine, so he allowed himself to be cocky.

"I know, I know... Who can compete with all that bouncy volume..." She teased and his heart soared at this light hearted banter.

"Now you get it."

"I do, oh, I do... Hey, I really need to get started on all that homework... Bye, Jack."

"Bye, sweet... Sweetheart."

She was silent for a bit and then repeated a quiet _bye_ and hung up.

He almost said 'sweet Kim,' but stopped himself. It sounded too much like Yoshimi's ramblings from last night. Must have been like an ear-worm that got stuck with him.

The day dragged on for Jack. He tried to do his own homework, but found that he could not concentrate on it long enough to be truly productive. His assignments were completed with the barest minimum of effort and he relied heavily on simply skimming the internet for answers. Once it was all done, he was still left with plenty of hours to be filled. He watched TV, surfed his favorite sites, checked out social media and even picked a book to try and read.

Nothing held his attention for too long. His was antsy and his mind restless. Thoughts skipped from topic to topic, all of them leading to inevitable point - he wanted to see Kim, but she was busy. Finally giving up on being idle, he grabbed his exercise clothes and decided to go for a run.

Running made his mind quiet and he enjoyed the vigor of the exertion, feeling accomplished and at peace. He ran along his usual route, which he knew by heart and had almost automatically followed the route. It was probably because he was so used to running the same circuit, and not paid attention, that it took him a while to notice that his feet somehow brought him to Kim's neighborhood.

He chuckled to himself. He really wanted to see her, if his body unconsciously lead him here. Oh, well, since he was here...

He rang the bell of the Crawfords' house and Kim's mom opened the door.

"Oh, Jack. Are you here to complete the project for school? Of course you are. Well, go ahead. Milton is already up there. You know the way."

From outside the bedroom door Jack heard the unmistakable sound of Kim's laughter and the sound had his stomach clenching uncontrollably. Jack followed the laughter, walking up to the bedroom to see Kim standing by the bookshelf and Milton sitting at the desk. Both she and Milton had their back to him as they talked to each other.

Kim gave another laugh, throwing a disbelieving look at Milton. "You're such a liar."

Milton scoffed back. "I'm telling you, I had to take the last white chocolate cranberry scone - right before some old lady, who clearly wanted it and gave me stink eye - so think a lot of it."

"You see, that's why I like you, Milton, ready to steal from the elderly because you remember my favorite sweet," said Kim teasingly.

Jack felt a sharp flash of annoyance at the picture of easy camaraderie the two of them made and he was taken aback by the force of the unexpected emotion. "What's going on?"

The two of them swung around in unison and Jack just drank in Kim's presence. His elation was brief because his eyes reached her face and stopped frozen at the sight of her lips. They were swollen, red, and her lower lip... It was definitely hurt and he swallowed against the tightness rising in his throat. She looked like she was kissed a lot... Hard... Deep... By him...

"Jack! I thought you'd be taking it easy today," said Milton with a smile. "We were finishing our school project, because someone put it off for the last moment."

"You ran here? How are you feeling?" asked Kim solicitously, taking in his appearance.

"Like I've ran at least twice my usual distance," said Jack unevenly, suddenly feeling the exhaustion.

Kim made a concerned clucking noise and came over to stand beside him. "What happened? I told you, I was fine." She put a hand to his forehead. "Or did you forget where you were headed? You feel all hot. Probably because you ran so much."

The touch of Kim's soft hand was a cool relief against Jack's brow and he was surprised at how good it felt.

"How are you feeling? Any more symptoms in addition to disorientation and confusion? You probably should get checked out by the doctor. Run the routine tests to compare against your baseline..." Milton said with concern, but Jack was irritated at the suggestion that he was unwell.

"I am fine. Why are you doing your project ...here?"

Kim gave him an odd look. "Jack, we are project partners. Don't you remember?"

His mind helpfully supplied a memory from last week when Mr. Hurst paired people for the project.

"Oh..."

"Yes, oh. I'm not some homework fiend, who surprises his friends at their homes to do more work," Milton said lightly with sarcasm and Kim laughed.

Which somehow made Jack feel conflicted: her laughter was soothing, but he wasn't the one who caused it.

"I'm sorry," he said unsteadily. "Of course you're not. I just… forgot."

"You need a snack" said Kim and continued, just as he shook his head. "And Milton brought sweets."

"All the artery clogging, diabetes-inducing pastries you can eat," agreed Milton, his eyes running over Jack. "So, any side effects from last night, apart from the forgetfulness?"

"I am fine!" He said more forcefully.

Kim laid a hand on his arm. "Jack, I think you should eat something. You must be starving, even if you don't know it."

"Okay," said Jack without hesitation. He watched as Kim moved away from him, pleased to please her.

Kim quickly passed him a napkin and small pastry. It was a scone. With bits of white chocolate.

Jack arched an eyebrow. "I get the scone? Your favorite?" He was stupidly glad that Kim cared about him so much.

Jack wolfed the pastry fast, finishing his before the others were even halfway through.

"Glad you weren't hungry or we might be next on the menu," said Milton wryly.

Jack shrugged. "I am a growing boy."

Kim gave him an assessing look and gave him another pastry, stepping close to him.

"Eat more."

"Okay," mumbled Jack around the scone. She was close to him, blonde hair hanging lose by her face as she focused on the food in her hand. As Kim moved a little, that teasing scent was back in Jack's nostrils, the one he'd woken up to. It was stronger now, but still just as pleasing. It felt really good. Light, floral, garden in full bloom. He pictured her in the orchard, near the tree, reaching for a blossom...

He must have spaced out, with half-eaten scone in his hand, because Kim asked, bringing hand to her mouth, self consciously, "What?"

"Nothing... Just... Glad to be here."

She blushed a little and looked away.

Milton gave them a calculating look, "Ok, I think there would be no homework done today."

Kim blushed every harder and straightened up her hair. "Of course, we will finish our project. Jack will just have to sit there and be quiet."

"What's your project?" Jack asked vaguely recalling that he and his partner had something about lymphatic system.

"Sceleto-muscular systems," Milton said already opening books and Kim sighed and sat down with a tablet, ready for notes.

Jack sort of tuned them out and instead let his mind wander. As was the case today, he ended up watching Kim. She was attentive and took notes, interjecting here and there. Her and Milton had obviously been a good partnership, the camaraderie easy and obvious.

Every now and then she would unwittingly bite into her lower lip, deep in thought, and stop herself because it caused her discomfort. And every time it happened, Jack's entire body reacted in sympathetic pain and something else. Something darker and visceral, that tugged at his being and settled low in his belly.

Their voices, obviously bickering, drew his attention.

"Yes Kim, we do. We need to show the interaction, cause and reaction, between the muscle and bone. Like, the back muscle is the strongest and the the weakest point on human body are joints. You should know: you are an athlete."

"Of course, I know. But I just wonder how we can present it to the teacher and class. We would need the subcutaneous imaging to show such interaction."

"Well, I can probably use laptop or tablet in class and we can use projector to show it to others..."

"Right. And where are we going to get the model, who would move for us to capture the 'interaction, cause and reaction?'" Kim said with a healthy dose of skepticism.

"We can use you," Milton said looking at Kim, who responded with a scoff. "I mean it. You are an athlete. You muscle, especially in the legs and your back, are developed and pronounced. I would just film the various movement and then we can 'peel' the layer to display the..."

"What?!" Jack's voice cut through the excited chatter. "You are going to film Kim? Her legs and back?" He sounded calm despite the turmoil. "Do you have to?"

"Jack... We can't use me, because while we would be able to show the skeletal part with little problem, the muscular part would be an issue."

Jack was actually even more flabbergasted at this suggestion, his hands clenching involuntarily.

"Are you OK?" Kim asked and he followed her pointed look. He had a death grip on the pen he didn't even remember picking up. It was just hearing that Milton would be filing Kim, or vice-versa, behind his back had caused feelings of absolute rage. Jack gave a little shake of his head, instantly realizing how ridiculous that thought was. They weren't doing anything behind his back and they were perfectly free to finish their assignment as necessary. Jack forced himself to let go of the pen, needing to change the subject.

"You can use me!" He blurted out and they looked at him surprised. "What? Does it have to be someone from the project team?"

Apparently it was not a requirement and the duo settled for showcasing the shoulder/chest area for the project. Jack was ordered to undress and Milton started showing on the illustration the parts they would be focused on. Kim stepped up and used body paint chalk to point out the areas of interest.

And it was unbearable.

Jack was hot, his heart pounding hard, sending blood whooshing through him, loud in his ears and making him feel heady. Kim was close, her scent filling his nose, her cool gentle hand on his naked torso, her eyes... bright and unfathomably dark... He just wanted to kiss her now...

"Is it... all right, Jack?" she whispered quietly. "you seem... hot." She blushed hard at this, "I mean, you seem flushed. Is everything..."

"I am fine," he croaked and locked eyes with her. "I can go on like this for a while."

"Are you sure?"

They stared at each other, the tension now really obvious, as Kim bit her lip again unthinkingly. Of course it hurt, so she winced, let go of her lip and licked it, the pink tongue darting out to sooth the small wound. "Oh..." she exhaled and he simply could not hold off anymore.

His head dropped and his mouth touched hers gently, carefully kissing around the small wound and...

"Holy Christmas Nuts!" a loud exclamation from Milton made them spring from each other and Jack turned to his friend annoyed at being interrupted.

"What?"

"'What?' That's it? A 'what'? No, you know 'what'? I am leaving. Obviously this project is doomed and I am just going to... go. Bye, Kim. Call me when you are done here."

Milton gathered his things an left in a huff, Kim looking at him guiltily.

For his part Jack was pleased. With Milton gone, all of Kim's attention would be on him. "Finally we are alone," he said and reached one hand to her.

She looked at him startled and then her eyes refocused on the the chalk lines on his shoulder, arm and hand. She stared at it a little and he could not help but flex, the roll of muscle surprisingly strong, lissome, fluid, feeling confident under her hot gaze. "C'mere" he said lowly and moved his fingers to crook them.

Her eyes traveled from the tips of his fingers, along the muscle and sinew of the arm and shoulder, until they rested on his chest.

She made a helpless sort of noise between a sigh and a gasp and he pulled her to him, unable to stay away anymore.

His hands were on her already, pulling her close and she came willingly and his lips went searching... "No... my lip..." she whispered in a rush.

He could not help that he dipped his head, craned her head back to feather open mouthed kisses along her throat, her shoulder, under her ear... "I know..."

She fisted hand in his hair, muttering something about smudging (the hard work she and Milton put into this project - his mind filled the gaps in the nearly inaudible words, and he felt both jealous and ecstatic that he interrupted them), before ignoring the paint and snuggling into his chest.

She was so small now, without heels, and he relished the feeling of her so close. His little Kim, so sweet and gentle...

He pressed her harder to him, lips insistent on her neck, working in tandem with teeth and tongue to... to taste and take, and she whimpered and pulled back, his mouth still going after any available skin. To touch, to kiss, more...

"Jaaaack... Please... It still hurts..." and he stopped when he heard a plea in her voice.

Like ice cold water being thrown into his face, the whimper in her voice doused all the desire in him.

"Where... Where did I...?" he did not finish the sentence, but she understood and already was shaking her head.

"It does not..." she began, but he interrupted her, pulling her face with a finger under the chin.

"Kim, I need to know. I need to see." He spoke urgently, the maddening tattoo of _Kim-hurt-Kim-hurt-Kim-hurt_ going into overdrive. It must have showed on his face, because she sighed and took off her long sleeved shirt, leaving her in a cotton bralet and leggins.

Any other time he would have been turned on immediately at the mere suggestion of Kim semi-naked, but right now his eyes were drawn to the dark shadows on her arms, where he could see bruises forming - still only beginning to darken, but they would be dark blue soon - and his body seized in some sort of combination of loathing and protectiveness that was hard to parse out.

He lifted one hand to touch and pulled back, because he really didn't want to see those bruise marks aligned perfectly with his fingers.

"Sorry..." he croaked and her eyes, that were downcast all this time, flew to his and he saw that she was not understanding it. Or rather, she understood but did not think he was right.

"I am OK, Jack. You are OK. We are OK. Promise..." she said quietly and he did not trust his voice anymore.

His feelings - self loathing, protectiveness, comfort, desire - all mixed, and at her tentative touch coalesced into one thought.

She was his. She said so herself.

A/N: this ended up being over 4K. But, for Jack it was a roller-caster of the after party... So, reviews?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I'll try to keep this note short. In response to one reviewer about why no one noticed the return of the spirit. If you recall when the spirit first possessed Jack, Milton actually did not see any visible signs, just the sensation of something moving. So, when spirit slowly went back into Jack, it wasn't anything other people could see (and note that that part of the story is Kim's POV). I don't want to divulge too much here.

The story is not tagged as humorous, so 'readers beware'. There will be some bumps in the road before we get to the end, but to paraphrase Roger Ebert: the point of stories of these kind is for the main characters to go through some tough stuff, so that later on their HEA is all the more compelling. Again, I don't want to give up the plot in the notes, but I hope you would continue to read. Thanks.

* * *

When they came back to school next Monday after party, Kim noticed that people were giving her curious looks and would often break out into conversation, clearly about her. She was self-conscious that her physical appearance was somehow causing it, although her lip healed and did not even look all that swollen anymore. She did not have any classes with Jack Monday morning, so it was her and Milton in some of them, standing together against the heightened attention. Milton was wisely avoiding talking about the failed attempt at project, although, he perked up when Kim handed him her portion of the assignment.

Grace explained to her during lunch that the rumor mill worked overtime on weekend and now the story of the party was re-told with all sorts of untruths and embellishments. Jack was a beast, who beat up everyone in sight. Then again, Jack was a hot boyfriend, who wanted to protect his girl. Kim was a trollop, who flirted with anyone in sight. Kim also was a potential victim of lecherous guys. Albert was alternately a victim and a creep. Kim was glad that her bruises were covered and her lip healed. Who knew what rumors those details would engender?

Grace just finished the last bit of gossip, when Jack and Jerry showed up at the table. He looked upset, but his mood shifted when he joined them. Jack leaned in closer to Kim to place a quick kiss on the cheek that stretched for a moment too long, and Grace and Jerry made loud gagging noises.

"Shut up!" Jack said, mouth still pressed against Kim's cheek.

"No more kissing from you two. I had enough of that during the party. I don't want to see Jack's tongue playing tonsil hockey with Kim." Jerry exclaimed loudly and Kim blushed and cringed at the reminder.

"Jerry!' she said embarrassed and Jack simply smacked their friend on the shoulder.

"Ow, ow, ow!, Jack. You've been hitting the gym lately?" Jerry said rubbing his arm.

"You are a wimp. That was barely a smack. A tap, really. And stop embarrassing Kim. She does not appreciate it, when you talk of her like this."

Grace made wide eyes at this and stole a quick glance at Kim, who was now a little miffed. "She is also here and can speak for herself, Jack." Her glare was half-hearted at best, but Jack looked startled by this.

"Of course, sweet... heart. I know you can, but I also want to protect you, even if it is from careless words of our friends," he offered sincerely and Kim subsided, nodding at him in understanding.

Grace's face was a picture of impatience and Kim suspected she knew what Grace wanted to talk about. Jack was acting so thoughtful and protective, his words so romantic, it was bound to raise questions from her friend. With a sigh she got up and waived bye to her boyfriend and Jerry, Grace quickly following her lead.

* * *

Jack's morning dragged on and he was was antsy and restless again. Everything and everyone were annoying him and he has not seen Kim yet. They talked last night, face-timed even, and she was fine. But then he had dreamt of her again and the dreams were chaotic and troubling. She was nearby, but every time he tried to touch her, his hand was touching air. He was frustrated and scared and in his dream he tried to hold on to her tight, but she dissolved into a mist, her face fading fast, and her split and bleeding lips were the last thing he saw. He woke up with a start, shaking and sweating.

 _She is fine, she is fine, she is fine._

So, yeah, the morning dragged on. Jerry and him had morning classes together and a mindless chatter with his friend kept his thoughts from going back to the unpleasant dream. By the time it was a lunch hour, it was nearly three hours and he could not wait to go and see Kim.

"You okay?" Brett's voice startled him out of the daze.

Jack tried to focus on Brett as he leant against the desk. "Yeah," he grunted.

"You're sick or something? You are like spacing out… a lot."

Jack ran his hand over his face, annoyed at being held up form going to lunch. "I guess I've felt better," he muttered. "My head is killing me and every muscle feels sore and tired. I hadn't slept well. I just need to eat something."

Brett grimaced. "Side effects of the party, huh? What were you on exactly? I don't think I've ever seen you so... mad. And at Albert too..."

"I was not on anything. And Albert deserved it," Jack said dismissively.

"Why? 'Cause he said something about Kim? You'd have to teach a lot of guys some manners then." Brett chuckled at his own pun and gave Jack some weird smirk/wink combination. "You and I know it, the girl is hot."

Jack clenched his hands and bit his tongue, fighting against the sharp rise of anger at the idiot.

"You had you chance, Brett," said Jack flatly. He glanced over at the door. "Wouldn't Kim be already at the lunch room?" he asked Jerry and began walking in that direction.

"Dude, she can wait. What are you, whipped?"

The pounding in Jack's head was getting worse and he glared at Brett. "What's it to you?"

Brett shrugged. "Just... Thought I'd never see the day that Jack Brewer would be wrapped around some girl's pinky. Even if it's Kim."

Jack's head jerked to look at Brett again and he heard Jerry's soft exhalation "Not cool, dude, not cool."

"Or maybe you don't want me talking to Kim," Jack snapped.

Brett looked a little taken aback. "Why wouldn't I want that?"

Jack straightened up and put his face in Brett's. "You tell me," he bit out.

"What am I meant to be telling you?" asked Brett in consternation.

"I don't know. Maybe you don't want any competition?"

Brett was looking at him in concern. "Competition? What competition? Is this about Kim and me dating a while back? That's over, dude." Brett said quickly and added quietly, "Thanks to you..."

Once again, his mind quickly supplied a memory of Kim breaking up with Brett and telling him that she had feelings for someone else (me! me!).

"That's right. And now she is my girlfriend and I am going to have lunch with her." Jack finished and power walked to the lunchroom, Jerry hurrying after him.

The moment he saw her, head bent close to Grace's, his spirits lifted and the anxiety that he felt after the dream has disappeared. She was fine. He dropped to the seat next to her and finally touched her.

Their arms, sides and thighs were touching as they sat together, talking to their friends. That fragrance of hers was back in Jack's nostrils and the warmth of Kim's body was creeping its way through his, making the pounding in his head stop. In fact, the aching in the rest of his body was dissipating as well. Jack felt a tranquil haze descend of him as he settled close to her and ate. Looks like he really had needed to eat after all. Jack felt much better than when he did when he first woke up.

Despite him upsetting her - she really could take care of herself - Kim gave him an understanding nod and let go. He sat closer to her, so that when she had turned to tell him good-bye, Jack had his face so close to hers that when she did, she bumped her nose against his chin. Kim made a face and rubbed her nose. "Ah, Jack, do you think you could move a little?"

On instinct Jack moved even closer, basically trapping Kim against the back of the chair, the table, and his body.

Kim arched an eyebrow at him. "I was kinda thinking the other way."

Jack had a moment of clarity. Of course she meant the other way, what was he doing? Even though he realized they were sitting far too closely and he was in fact even crushing her a little, Jack still felt himself oddly reluctant to move away. With a great effort of will he moved a little bit away from her so there was a small space between them. "Sorry," he apologized a little sheepishly.

"It's okay," said Kim, casting him a vaguely confused sideways look. "I gotta go. Come on, Grace."

She left taking the feeling of peace with her, her light scent lingering behind until it has dissipated in the general smell of the lunching crowd.

"You OK, Jack?" Jerry asked him and, really, how many times did he have to say it?

"'m fine."

"OK, so, we need to plan for Phil's birthday, which we all forgot..."

"Phil? Do we have to? Can't we just sing a song and have balloons?"

"That's what I said, but Rudy felt bad. And he made Kim feel bad. She now wants to make it up to Phil."

"I am in. What do we need to do?" Jack felt like the restless and anxious energy that came back shifted into a useful and purposeful enthusiasm. Phil was a good friend to them all. Kim was right: they needed to make it up to him.

They were almost done with lunch when Milton came barreling in, muttering something about ruined plans.

"You're ok?" Jack asked him and smiled inwardly, for once he got to ask this question.

"No! I need a co-host to do the weather report and I wanted you to do it, but Albert... Well, let's just say he is terrified of you and won't have anything to do with you. So, I am without the co-host."

"I would not have agreed anyway. And Albert deserved it." Jack said with relish, remembering the feel of Albert's puny neck under his fingers. That jerk has always been hitting on Kim. It was about time he learned the lesson. Unconsciously his right hand clenched into a fist around the fork and only the sensation of the metal digging into the flesh in his palm, made him relax the hold.

"Yeah, yeah... He deserved it. Yoshimi thought so too." Milton spoke quickly and then refocused on Jack. "Are you feeling anything that is remotely not like yourself?"

"No. Why?"

"Just checking. I had never taken interest in the paranormal before, so my knowledge was spotty at best. Since the party I have familiarized myself with the basics of the spirits and possession by spirits." Milton looked like a kid in the candy store, which is not surprising - he always got excited at the prospect of the new knowledge.

"If you weed out the fiction, junky advertisements, and fraudsters, there is surprisingly consistent information cross-cultures. Spirits usually linger if there is an unfinished business and some are cursed to remain in that plane between the worlds. Halloween makes the barrier between the worlds thinner and a cross-over can happen. I posit that Yoshimi was a restless spirit, who only wanted a kiss from his love, and the Halloween allowed him to come into this world."

"Well, duh! I could have told you that," Jerry scoffed. "That's like stating the obvious. Jack was all, like, Mariko this and Mariko that. Hell, he almost choked Albert."

"He deserved it!" Jack said irritated. Why could not his friends get it through their heads? And why were they discussing him like some sort of exhibit in the cabinet of curiosities? "Why are you telling me this Milton? Yoshimi is gone and I am fine!" he emphasized the last word, irritation making his voice hard.

"Well, I suppose it's just a precaution. It is possible that Yoshimi's spirit was cursed to roam that plane without peace. In such a case, a merely unfinished business would not help the matters. In such cases, the spirit would have to be exorcised and banished. Otherwise, it would try to possess someone again." Milton was talking and checking his tablet, where his notes were organized in a neat folder titled "Possession." Ugh, sometimes he was such a nerd.

"And what is the danger of the cursed spirit? I mean, wouldn't he be just 'roaming the plane between the worlds'?" Jack's sarcasm was obvious.

"Au contraire, Jack. A cursed spirit was cursed for a reason. Usually a person had to have done something to deserve such a curse in the first place. Think of the cardinal sins. Would you want a spirit of the person, who was a sinner, roaming around?" Jack felt uncomfortable at the intent look Milton was giving him.

"Do we know if Yoshimi was cursed for being a sinner?" he asked carefully, something inside of him tightening in apprehension.

"I would not know. His journal is in kanji and I can't read that."

"So why are you concerned about that then?"

"It's like Jerry said. Yoshimi was severe with Albert and, I know you don't remember it, but that kiss with Kim was just short of brutal. I mean, I had to hit you, or rather Yoshimi, with a stick to get him to let go of Kim. I was worried where that kiss might go." Milton's face reflected the worry he must have felt that night, eyes troubled and searching Jack's face.

"She is fine now!" Jack bit out, conflicted about whether to tell Milton that he remembered all too well that night himself. His memories were there, just beneath the surface. His feelings, Yoshimi's feelings... Kim's face, her hair... T _hose lips, that kiss... So sweet, so unbearably sweet. Being interrupted by the redhead_... Jack narrowed his eyes at Milton. "You were worried about Kim?'

"Yes, of course, I was. She is a friend and you, I mean, Yoshimi were assaulting her." He did not assault her! She agreed to kiss him! She did it willingly! Why was Milton so concerned with Kim and her kisses?

"You said it was a kiss that was a tad aggressive." Jack's tone was flat, but he felt the sort of unstable and dangerous desire to shut Milton up.

"You mean the kiss that left her with a split lip and bruises on her hands?" Milton said, looking straight at Jack, as if accusing him.

Jack's face hardened and his eyes narrowed, "She is fine now," he practically ground out of his mouth, his jaw was clenching so hard. "She has not problems with me."

Why was Milton so preoccupied with Kim? Why was he so dead set against Jack? Why did they have to do that project at Kim's house? When did he see her bruised arms? Did Milton see Kim so uncovered to have noticed it? What was the redhead playing at?

"I didn't say she did. I was just exploring the topic."

"I think we can close this topic now." Jack felt the good mood that lunch brought dissipate quickly, like the remnants of Kim's fragrance disappeared in the air.

"Of course." Milton's face had a calculating look, and they had stared at each other for a sustained moment. But then Milton blinked. "So, what are we planning for Phil's birthday surprise?" he changed the subject and the three friends discussed their options and trying to determine just how guilty Rudy felt.

And if Jack threw a suspicious look at Milton now and then, no one noticed it.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you for kind reviews. I tried to show how Kim is viewing this right now. Plus, some escalation of Jack's aggressiveness in general.

* * *

"Kim! What was that?" Grace exclaimed the moment girls passed through doors. "Sweetheart? Protect from friends?" Her voice was on the edge of disbelief and her eyes grew large in excitement. "I mean, I never suspected that Jack would be so... so... so protective and chivalrous."

Kim actually looked at her friend to show Grace that she was rolling her eyes. "Chivalrous?"

"I know. But, like, I am so surprised that I am not even talking like myself anymore. When did it happen? When did you move into the cute affectionate terms? What do you call him?"

"Like I am going to tell you."

She wouldn't if there were cute affectionate pet names. The bit with 'sweetheart' was new and Kim suspected it had everything to do with Yoshimi possessing Jack and causing some physical damage to her. The whole weekend Jack was alternately super sweet and gentle with her, solicitous and helpful; or somber and thoughtful, his face clouded like he was castigating himself for what his physical self did to her. She tried to soothe him, telling him that he was not at fault. At least she did not blame him. Sometimes he would just smile thankfully and they would end up with abbreviated make-outs, because her lip was still sore and her ribcage protested too much of the close contact. Sometimes, Jack would lapse into even deeper silence that was so out of character for him.

All of this Kim was keeping to herself. Because Kim was not comfortable letting others in on the intimate relationship between her and Jack. And because Grace was an incurable gossip, who would spill beans on everyone to anyone.

Which was what she told Grace.

"Eh, you call it gossip. I call it information gathering and early warning system. Did you know that some evolutionary psychologists believe that gossiping developed as the way of protecting one's immediate clan from strangers? Intel and national security for the stone ages, if you will." Grace told Kim with her nose in the air.

"Wow, it's like Milton is talking through you. Did you spend time with him lately?" Kim said with the knowing smirk. Grace was spending more and more time with the Wasabi Warriors, but Kim suspected it had more to do with Jerry than the resident genius.

"Well, he overheard me gossiping with Jerry and then sprang this whole bit about evolutionary necessity for rumours and it stuck, I guess," Grace said sheepishly and Kim laughed, amused and feeling light.

Grace was chattering happily about goings on of the squad and how many girls thought that Brett was the next most desirable boy in school. Kim tuned out her friend and they walked to class, by all appearances, just two normal high-school girls.

One of whom had a close encounter with the belligerent spirit, was kissed by the spirit, and was now dealing with the overprotective boyfriend. Never an easy day.

* * *

Jack was sitting in the class, surrounded by his classmates and teammates, feeling the jittery sort of energy that made him jiggle his foot and spin the pencil around. He could not tell what was wrong, but his senses were stretched and he kept scanning the room for anything out of place. It was weird to be so hyperaware of his surroundings, but he guessed training in martial arts for so long would do that to a person. Rudy and his grandpa went on and on about the awareness and attentiveness to the environment.

And he was a pretty decent martial artist. He had a much lauded control over the moves he executed, his vaunted talent for winning combinations, his actual physical strength. He always managed to maintain his equilibrium, an important feature in martial arts. He was so even keel that his recent bout with ceding control to the spirit has rattled him. That he was so out of control as to hurt Kim, hurt him more that he could say.

That's why he was so focused on her now. Not because he was whipped.

Brett's words came to him again. 'Wrapped around Kim's finger...'

Is that how people saw him? That he has been relegated to nothing more than a lovesick boy, who crushed on a girl, chasing away other boys? Unbidden, Kim's face surfaced in his mind's eye, so vibrant and real he even checked to see if somehow thinking about her summoned her presence.

He almost chuckled to himself... Summon her presence, indeed. If that were possible, he wouldn't have to call her to make sure she was fine or just to hear her. He wouldn't have to surprise her at her home, like he did past weekend. She was wearing long sleeved shirt and leggings with little mesh panes on the sides, her pale skin playing peekaboo. Her hair thrown into a hasty bun, leaving tendrils falling out, and face clean of makeup. Classic girl next door. She combined biting wit and words dipped in sarcasm with a genuine kindness, goodness, and charm.

She was so kind to him in the wake of the Yoshimi incident: innocent to the knowledge that he wasn't entirely unaware. She gave her support in purest form.

Kim, an image in gold and white, her pale skin and soft smile haunting his thoughts, all innocence and sincerity.

Jack clenched his teeth tight, uncomfortable with the deception - a first in their relationship. He needed to clear her from his head. She was too distracting, with her brightness, goodness...

That resolve lasted until the end of the class. By the end of it, Jack was a tightly coiled spring. The minutes ticked away and Jack was beginning to feel like a caged animal. The air around suddenly felt as thick as molasses and each breath seemed to come in with less oxygen, making him try and breathe more. The moment the bell rang, Jack abruptly stood up, unable to sit still any longer. He began to shove his belongings into the backpack, wishing he could work out to clear his head.

He walked, fast and with purpose, to the next and last class of the day, PE. He actually looked forward to it: a great exercise would help him focus and burn off this restless energy. He changed quickly and was on the floor of the gym, bouncing on his feet. The teacher must have read his mind, because they were playing dodgeball. He nearly cackled: this was what he needed.

The teams were formed and the game, silly childish game began. People were hollering and laughing, trying playfully to aim at faces and the taunting each other. Jack relished the vigour and exhilaration of the game, to be faster and stronger than others. To be better and to win.

Jerry and he were in the same team and easily dodged any incoming balls, but the rest of their team wasn't so lucky. In no time at all, there were only two of them left with Frank and Brett, and couple more guys, on the opposite side.

Brett stupidly taunted Jack, "come on, lover boy. Give us all that you've got. You don't want Kim to think you are a wimp, huh?"

Jack was already flush from the game and didn't quite register the rising colour in his cheeks. "She dumped you. Clearly she knows who's the wimp here." He finished his little jibe and smiled with satisfaction at the sight of Brett's frustrated face. That's right, she was his now.

Brett pursed his lips and the next throw was clearly meant to hurt. He aimed at Jack and, as a quarterback, his aim was true. The ball was speeding at Jack, but to him it was as if he could tell where and when exactly to strike it. His heightened senses, that made him restless, rose, focused, and when he intercepted, he managed to reverse the trajectory of the ball and sent it hurtling towards Frank.

Who didn't have time to dodge and received a face full of the speeding ball. The boy crumpled on the ground, clutching his nose.

Pressing the advantage, Jack only used two more throws, powerful and twisting enough, that the other players were out of the game.

"You concede, fool?" Jack shouted at Brett, smug at this simple display of his own dominance.

"You got lucky!" Brett retorted and swung the ball in a perfect arc. It curved a little too much and was going to miss Jack anyway, but it was going towards Jerry, who was distracted by Grace on the sidelines. Jack had no time to warn his friend, so he simply stepped up and casually extended one arm to catch the ball right in front of Jerry's face.

There was an audible gasp from everyone. Brett stood there, his face shocked and a little fearful, because Jack turned fully to face him with all the intent to win. Or hurt. Either way. Commotion and sound from the large room faded a little as Jack zeroed in on his target. He pulled his arm back and released the ball at the same time that the whistle blew. It was a second too late. Jack hurled the orb so hard it was faster than Brett's reflexes and when it connected, it made the loud smacking noise, hitting the boy in his midsection. The force of the throw bowled the boy and he fell backwards.

Jack stalked over to Brett, determined and smug, "have you had enough?"

"You are a fucking jerk!" Brett was wheezing. "What does she see in you?"

It was like the coiled spring of tension was released. The dark and unstable feeling that was encroaching in him when he talked to Brett and Milton, the one that he fought and pushed down, rose unopposed and spread through him. It filled him completely, with intent and purpose to shut Brett up. To make him stop bringing Kim up. To get it through his thick skull that Kim wasn't his to worry about. That he didn't get to have opinions on her life and choices. That he didn't get to think about her. To make him see that Kim was only Jack's.

He grabbed Brett, who was already getting up, by the back of the collar and pulled up. Hard.

"Get up and say it again."

"Or what? Wanna show me your super karate skills?"

"I will do what I have to do..."

"To do what?"

"To make you take your words back."

"Fuck you! You can't make me do anything!"

The dark feeling inside roared and Jack only bit out a terse _very well_ and hit. It only took two punches (stomach and jaw) to lay out Brett.

He stood over the other boy, blood whooshing and heart pounding, but his head was clear and he felt satisfied, the restless energy settled.

Now he could hear the crowd clearly and the shouts and whistle of the coach.

"Brewer! To the principal! Now!"

The portly man ran to them, crouching next to Brett - no doubt checking on his precious little football star - and yelled again, "Principal! Now!"

Jack snorted and started walking away, swaggering exaggeratedly and feeling the rush of the win, when coach's words were spoken into his back, "And come to try out for the football team."

There was an indignant scoff from Brett and Jack actually barked an amused laugh - his victory was complete it seems, if the coach thought he had something to offer to the Seaford Whales.

Jack paused for second, a ready refusal on his lips, but coach spoke more insistently, "I mean it, Brewer."

Oh, well, he supposed he could do more athletics... And Kim was a cheerleader...

* * *

Kim was breathless by the time she made it to the office. She ran all the way, worried about what she would find there. When Grace told her about the fight (really, just Jack annihilating people, according to the gossip) she did not believe it at first. Then Jerry confirmed the story, adding with great drama, the whole verbal exchange between Brett and Jack, and she was simply shocked.

She knew, of course she knew, that Jack was prone to jealousy. But it usually exhibited itself in some sulking, some sarcastic putdowns of her dates, and general grouchiness. But he never, ever, was violent when jealous. She also wondered about Brett and what made him try and taunt Jack. She ran worried about what she'd find there.

When she saw Jack standing in the reception area, looking like he was about to leave, she sighed in relief. He did not look mad or even upset anymore. The moment he saw her, he stopped, spreading his arms open to welcome her and she stepped into his embrace.

"What happened? Why did you...? You know that I and..."

"Shhh... Its not a big deal. Brett was spoiling for a fight for a while. He is a sore loser, that's all." Jack spoke into her hair, finishing with a kiss, and she melted a little at this.

Then she caught onto his words and frowned, "Sore loser at what? I hope you are not talking about me?" She bristled at the notion that these two boys discussed her in such terms. She was not a prize for them to fight over.

He stilled briefly and she was already gearing up for a lecture, when he spoke, "No. Not you. He lost the game. He tried to get to me and he may have said something about you and I may have overreacted, but it does not matter."

Oh, these stupid schoolyard brawls. And of course they'd try and use a girl to get to each other. At least it was not over some jealousy, just over some dumb sport trash talk. No better than 'your momma' jokes. "Are you in much trouble?"

"One day suspension... I suspect coach had something to do with it. I have to now try out for the football team. I was actually ready to go to the nurse's when you came in."

Kim stepped away from Jack and looked him over for signs of injuries. He looked fine and her eyes darted everywhere, searching. He lifted his right hand and she saw the reddened knuckles. "That's it?"

"I know, but the principal insists that my hand is looked over, lest my parents protest or something."

They walked together to the nurse's office, him hugging her close and talking about plans for Phil's birthday.

Nurse clucked her tongue at him, sighed and went about collecting the ice and some gauze, telling Jack to find a place to sit on one of the cots behind the curtain. Kim was told to wait before being called in. ' _Patient privacy, you see, dear._ '

Soon enough she heard a muffled ' _you can come in_ ' and she went about to find her boyfriend, when Brett came out from behind one of the curtains.

"Oh... I... Hi. How are you?" Kim felt horribly awkward and her eyes fell unerringly on the sizable bright red spot on Brett's jaw.

Which clenched visibly and then he winced, because it clearly still hurt. Kim winced in sympathy. "Oh... that looks..." she trailed off. What could she say to her ex about the fact that her current boyfriend apparently would and could hit hard enough to bruise jaws. Confronted with this visible marker of Jack's temper, Kim reeled back a little. Maybe it wasn't just trash talk...

"It's fine... Or it will be." Brett's voice was hard and serious. "But I am not sure that you would be..." he finished seriously and she looked at him startled and surprised.

"What do you mean?"

"Listen, it probably is not my place, but Jack is weird now. This is the second time he got jealous. In one day. We managed to be OK after you guys got together. And then, all of a sudden, he is mad about the past. And at the party... He was way harsh on Albert... I just... Well, just be careful... And if you ever..." He was interrupted when the nurse came out and he just nodded at her and left.

Slowly Kim made her way to where Jack was, mulling over what Brett said.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: thanks for reviews. In response to Evan Robert's little sister's comment: I hear what you say. You clearly feel strongly about this story, which makes me glad as a writer. Don't worry, I don't write drama or angst just for the sake of drama and angst. All the characters have their roles in this tale and all of them would be fine in the end.

* * *

Jack was in a foul mood. It was not the suspension. Or the concurrent grounding that his parents imposed. No, he was mad because that little pigskin player was actively undermining him. Jack was right to distrust him all along. Oh, Brett played it perfectly. He was just innocently concerned about Kim. Because he, Jack, was being jealous. Unreasonably, of course. And should Kim ever... Ever what? Ever need Brett? Ever think about leaving Jack? Ever want to take Brett back? Ever what?!

Yesterday, when he overhead that enlightening conversation between the exes, he nearly got up to finish the job of beating Brett more. He stopped out of curiosity to hear what Kim had to say. Unfortunately, the nurse came out and he did not get to hear much from her. She came in and sat next to him on the cot, checking over his ice-pack and sighing deeply. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her if something was the matter, but she beat him to it. Instead of telling him about Brett, she asked if he, Jack, was still jealous over her ex.

Put on the spot like that he struggled to answer. Finally he was honestly said that, yes, he was. Kim signed again and only told him that it was all quite cliche, but that he really needn't worry about it. She was with him.

All that worry and restlessness that plagued him in the afternoon lifted and his senses focused only on her. They kissed, awkwardly as they were sitting side by side, until Kim put one leg on the cot and turned her torso and the angle and connection became much better.

Like some sort of instant chemical reaction, the want for more (closeness, kisses, touch, feel) spread through him, eating at his restraints as if they were mere paper, and the kiss turned heated and deep.

It was a blur of movement up to this point, a mishmash of teeth and tongue as they grasped one another. It was an unsure and odd dance, their surroundings so unusual and the rush of being discovered pulling them closer and pushing them apart. In the end, he'd won out, hooking fingers into the belt loops of her jeans and hauling her the rest of the way to him. His hands were so big on her, they easily span her waist, holding Kim firmly in place as he kissed her properly (she tasted of sweetness and light, always so delicate under his hand, her hair a waterfall of silk around them, so bright, shining like metal, at times gold, at times silver).

She pulled back, tongue licking at the recently healed spot, tantalizing and mocking. He could not help himself: he pulled her back, held her head in his hands and traced that spot himself, begin delicate and soft. But that was not enough. He wanted more, so he followed the same patterns, outlining every part of her lips and by the end of the circuit, he was trembling from holding himself back. She, too, trembled and looked at him with huge eyes, lips ajar and hair ruffled. He looked at her eyes and then her mouth, debating if he could kiss her again like he wanted to, or if she was still sensitive there, when she whispered, "it still hurts a little, but I don't care." And pushed up to kiss him again.

It razed the last line of defense between her and the heated _want_ that had swallowed him whole.

 _Those lips, those words..._

It all was conspiring to drive him mad, to burn through his brain, to call to that dark energy deep in his being, and like those dreams of her with him (under him) filled him with shameless need, so were these words - insidious and welcome - rushed through his body to make him forget all about decency and decorum, leaving him with...

Craving.

He took what she offered, hand curling around the back of her neck, thumb brushing the line of her jaw, his kiss hard and insistent and deep. Kim pressed a hand instinctively against his chest, nails digging into the soft fabric of his shirt. He pressed her back against the headrest, the move abrupt and she gasped softly against his mouth, fingers gripping his side, his tongue brushing tauntingly over hers. His hand trailed over the leg that was on the bed, tracing the inseam of the her jeans with hot fingers, making her whimper a little and the press her palm over his, stilling it. He wanted, oh so wanted, to touch more, to feel more, and he kissed her harder, stealing the last of breath -

Only to be interrupted by a nurse, who scolded and shooed them both out...

That night, after the excruciatingly long and repetitive lecture from his parents, Jack had troubles falling asleep. His mind kept replaying his conversations with Milton and Brett and he was restless again. When he fell asleep his dreams were clearer than before, but no more comforting.

/

He was walking barefoot through a strangely quiet silent forest.

He had a purpose here: a motive that drew him to this place at this time. Pushing further into the dark and quiet woods where trees were black sentinels all around him, Jack did not pause to consider why he could see so well in the dark or why he was barefoot.

Jack knew he was here to find something…someone and that was what mattered.

 _There!_

A flash of brightness fluttered across his vision and Jack felt his chest constrict. A desire to chase filled his mind and he sprang after the teasing ripple of metallic glimmer that for some reason glowed starkly against the darkness of the night.

When he caught up with the source of the light, it turned out to be a slender form in the night - a silhouette lit by the shinning light that flowed from it – danced away from him. A clearing met his frantic eyes and in the centre was a pool, upon which the moonlight shone turning the surface a glimmering silver. It was beautiful.

Breathless Jack stepped forward and moved to stand by the silvery depths. As he gazed upon the pool a vision came into focus and he gasped.

The same silhouette stared boldly up at him, luscious locks rippling away from the creature's head.

Delighted, Jack fell to his knees and reached out only to have water meet his fingertips. The silhouette laughed and as he watched features materialised and Jack hissed.

 _Kim._

His girlfriend smiled at him, her beautiful face a picture of joy. Yet in her wonderful dark eyes lurked a sadness that made Jack ache to remove it, to mop up all her grief and hurt.

Why was she sad? Who made her sad?

 _He doesn't deserve you._

Jack stared at the shining form of Kim, drinking in her vibrancy for life, her happiness... _You deserve better. I'd love you. I'd worship you._

Kim laughed again and her pale lips parted to call to him.

 _Jack._

That was all it took.

In the simple calling of his name Jack was lost and he dove into the glassy waters, arms outstretched to catch Kim.

The surface closed above him and Jack could feel the cool sensation of the waters surrounding him, but in all this he cared only for Kim. With a cry, swallowing water as he did, Jack triumphantly seized his prize and pulled her to the surface.

Breaking for air he gasped and half swam and crawled onto the grassy shore.

Lying down breathless he turned to meet Kim's warm eyes and in them the same shadowy sadness he had glimpsed from earlier.

Unable to bear it any longer, Jack forwent his restraint and leaned forward, pressing his mouth to Kim's.

The kiss was everything he had dreamed. Their lips slid and it was gloriously wet and messy as he kissed Kim with a passion he thought he had long banked.

Kim shifted closer, fitting her curves along the hard panes of his body. Jack was aware of one hand coming up to rest on the side of his face, his own sneaking in up her torso and closing in over the small, but pert breast. Jack stopped to allow them to breathe and grinned like a love-sick fool at the expression in Kim's eyes. No grief darkened her lovely eyes; instead it was as if the moonlight was trapped in them, for they shimmered with joy.

Kim sighed and stroked his cheek with her long elegant fingers. "Jack."

Jack smiled. Happiness filled his being as if Kim in the process of kissing him had poured her goodness into him, making him feel lighter and less worn by his duties.

"Kim."

Jack wrapped an arm around Kim, relishing her softness and was about to say something else when he realised how odd it was that neither of them were wet.

Confused Jack sat up and glanced down at his clothes. They were perfectly dry like he had never dived into the pool.

"Jack?"

Kim was gazing at him worriedly. Her skin was translucent and as Jack watched he saw her eyes lose their glow.

Alarmed, Jack gathered in his arms a girl, who seemed as insubstantial as a breath of air.

"Kim, what's happening?"

Kim tilted her head curiously, her once dark eyes nearly void of colour. Her blonde hair was strangely vibrant, a nearly gruesome contrast to her pale face, which was white as the moon above, "What do you mean? Jack, are you okay?"

'Okay' was barely a whisper and as Jack watched in horror, Kim faded away in his arms until he toppled forward now that he was no longer holding Kim.

Panicked Jack jumped up and began calling. After a moment of searching Jack finally knelt by the shimmering pool and looked once more into the waters.

Out of the glossy ripples he caught a glimpse of Kim with dark hair smiling sadly at him.

 _You have no right now... I am not yours..._

Rage and fear, unlike anything he ever felt before, erupted in Jack, blazing away his finely tuned control and he clawed at the image in the pool, who simply shook her head, until Jack half fell into the silvery pool, trying to grasp his girl...

/

Jack snapped awake, shooting up in bed, sweat beading his forehead and drenching his chest.

His heart was beating painfully and the fear he had experienced was still pulsing through his body. Trembling, Jack shoved his damp covers aside and shakily made his way to the bathroom.

Half-wary of his own taps he turned them on and washed his face with hands that shook, much to his disgust.

Peering into the mirror Jack saw a flicker of that fear in his face and shuddered.

It had been a dream – a terribly realistic dream that involved some pretty strange experience of his life.

He hoped that time would make these dreams less frequent.

As it was, he thought of her often enough during his waking hours. He figured it was residual fear of what occurred in the temple. This fear for Kim's safety was now constant, with added complication of being jealous. Once again, the incident with the ghost (the hurt he visited on Kim) made him worry that she would leave him.

Now not even in his dreams he was safe. He hoped this would resolve itself before his waking days were so full of this aching desire to make sure Kim was fine and that no other man tried to get close. He wasn't sure how many suspensions he could get away with.

He could not continue like this. What if he drove Kim away?

 _Kim._ Jack shut his eyes and inhaled. The mere murmur of her name was enough to conjure the taste and feel and fragrance and the reassuring warmth of her presence.

For a moment it was like she was standing beside him.

Jack's hands closed on the cold porcelain of the sink.

 _The firm pressure of her lips against his and her hand on his cheek…her face evaporating like smoke..._

"Fuck."

Jack hissed, opening his eyes. He had clenched the sink so tightly, as he dwelled once more in his dream that he had gripped too hard. Wincing he released his hold and wrung out his abused fingers.

This was ridiculous, really.

Still trying to ease the throb in his hands Jack snatched up a towel to dry himself. Rubbing the towel over his face was a relief. He welcomed the invigorating pull of the fabric across his skin. The rough slide also shattered the haunting remnants of his dream allowing him to think clearly again.

This, this, hangover from the ghostly incident was lasting too long. It was making him restless.

Examining his reflection in the mirror as he finished toweling his chest Jack noted the dark circles under his eyes. They were a sharp contrast to the flush that stained his face.

He needed to calm down, to get over the fear of losing Kim. She was with him. She said so. No matter who said what.

Switching off the light in the bathroom Jack ignored the image of Kim that flickered in the hollow depths of his mirror before the darkness swallowed the room...

* * *

His suspension only lasted a day, but to Jack it might as well have been a week. Never before he felt so strongly about attending school. He wondered if it was because of the teenagers' notorious contrarian nature that he wanted to go to school now. His parents also grounded him for a week, so he was only allowed to go to dojo and run errands that his parents would come up. He was irritated, because he would be missing Phil's birthday surprise planning and that meant even less time spent with his friends. He also lost the phone privileges and could not just text them.

He was legitimately going crazy here. At least he still had computer and he sent emails to Kim to let her know that he was still alive, though not for very long. He once again was restless and cagey, his body felt like he drank an entire carafe of coffee and both his thoughts and movement were jittery and jumpy. Memories of the last night's dreams were coming back to him again and again ( _I am not yours_ ) interspersed with the conversation Kim had with Brett ( _If you ever.._.)

It was getting unbearable: he wanted to see her so badly, if only to reassure himself that she was, in fact, still whole and corporeal...

By the time he made it to the dojo, he was very sorry he ever bothered with that idiot quarterback.

He nearly ran to the dojo and when he stepped in, his eyes quickly scanned the room for a familiar silhouette. She was not here. He reeled back a little and the disappointment-concern-fear descended upon him all at once. Before he could even shake his head from all that, he caught the subtle fragrance in the air, normally smelling of the mats cleaned with astringent solutions, resulting in an acrid and burning smell.

 _Light, floral, orchard in bloom..._

Kim. She was here.

Of course she was. She was probably just changing in the lockers rooms. Immediately his mind supplied the image of Kim in the bralet and leggings from the weekend. Only now he was not wrecked with guilt over the bruising, and his mind neurotically - and with photographic clarity - brought up memories of the slender body and luminous skin. It was like the still images rapidly changing in his mind view like some sort of the video collage that somehow came with the growing physical awareness of his reaction to the said images. She came to him in snapshots of the delicate curve of the throat ( _thrown back as he kissed it, leaving behind a love bite_ ), the little hollow between the clavicles ( _he dipped his tongue and licked there_ ), the small mounds of breasts ( _tipped with tiny nipples that he could see through fabric_ ), the narrow waist ( _his hands encircled it almost completely_ ), the toned legs ( _lithe and strong and he could ima... no... not now_ ).

He breathed deeply against the sudden onslaught of _want_ and focused on taking the next one slowly, imagining it travel through him, feeding oxygen to his body, and exhaling just as slowly. Several more breaths and he managed to stuff the images somewhere deep, where his fears and dreams resided now. _Not now, not yet_.

When his eyes snapped open, all this calming technique was in vain. Kim was in front of him, and even though she was wearing a gi, his hungry eyes easily imagined all of that glorious skin and flesh underneath.

This was going to be a long grounding.

* * *

That night Jack was woken up again from the nightmare of Kim disappearing like a mist and her dark-haired image taunting him from the water surface, telling him she was not his anymore. Jack's heart was settled somewhere in the throat and he had wrestled in the sheets that were tangled around him so much, he tore one of them.

This time just splashing cold water and a talking to himself did not work as well. He sat the rest of the night, hyper vigilant and the darkness around him fed the worst of the imagination. He only barely waited until sunrise.

He got up, got ready and got to Kim's house as quickly as he could.

He still had to wait for her to wake up and get ready, but then she came out and was so surprised to see him, her smile was so infectious, it burned away his strange anxiety left from the nightmare.

* * *

The next night was repetition of the same nightmare with added blood trickling from Kim's mouth as she said that she was not his. Jack actually fell into the pool himself as if to try and catch the elusive girl, but felt like tendrils of something dark and dangerous pulled at his legs and tugged him down into the depth...

He woke up with a muffled cry of _Kim_ on his lips and the heart threatening to break through his ribcage. It took him a while to calm down his breathing, but the fear and anxiety were not leaving him, not matter what he said to himself. He cursed the suspension and the grounding that took away his ability to check on Kim distantly. He could not convince his unruly heart that she was fine and to wait until morning. Scenarios, one worst than the other, paraded through his troubled mind and he finally gave up and slinked out of the window. In what seemed like no time at all, he was at Kim's house and with the help of the pergola that was right under her window, he was looking at her. The window was locked, but he could see through the gauzy material of the curtains that Kim was sleeping soundly, hair braided and her face untroubled.

He stayed like this until the first blush of dawn appeared on the east and then he went back home, at peace that she was at peace.

A/N: so we have lurkage already. Don't forget, there is always a plan for everything.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: More development of Jack's new state of being.

* * *

Jack's unusually physical jealous reaction to Brett's taunts (she refused to think that Brett had any lingering feelings for her) lead to some expected and unexpected results. Jack was being recruited for the football team and he was grounded for a week. That meant no dates with him. So she only saw him at school and dojo.

She'd admit freely that it was hard. Jack was fun to be around as a friend and as a boyfriend there were some fringe benefits that she definitely missed. Although, it was probably good that they had little time to be alone: that interlude in the nurse's office got heated fast and her body (aching ribs, bruises and lips) needed some rest.

Brett's words (still she refused to think it was jealousy, rather she thought that Brett was simply mad at being bested) made her pay close attention to Jack's behaviour. Well, closer. She already tried to covertly watch him, because of the Halloween incident and Jack's subsequent slightly 'off' state. He forgot some things, he was a little more tactile with her, his speech pattern was a bit more formal, and, obviously, he was more jealous. But the most telling change was his increased need for physical connection with her. Both, being in the same space as her and the markedly assertive and passionate actions when they were alone.

Kim figured it was the after-effect of the Halloween: the need for closeness and jealousy were part of the same reaction. Jack was feeling guilty over hurting her and he was upset that she kissed someone other than him. She herself felt guilty over those kisses (and words) too. Even as she reminded herself (and Jack never brought it up) that it was for Jack's benefit, she could not help but think that sometimes logical explanations diid not remove emotional responses.

Just like her. She sometimes could not help but see Yoshimi's dark unfathomable eyes on Jack's face. Sometimes, when he got quiet and just looked at her intently, she would be reminded of Yoshimi's single-minded focus and intensity and her stomach would clench and twist, while some ache settled low in her belly. These reactions were so confusing. She reacted to Jack in the purest and basic ways: he was good-looking and she was aware of him always. But he was this sunny, happy, easy-going guy, who flirted and goofed around. But when he was like this - his eyes purposeful, his body coiled with power, his expression severe - something in her responded in ways that sent her spine tingling, caused butterflies int he stomach, made her light-headed, and brought flush to the cheeks. It was like she wanted to run from him, but also was sure that he would give chase and catch her. And she was not sure what would happen afterwards.

Grace once again was a treasure trove of news. According to the ever-churning gossip mill that was the Seaford High, confrontation between Jack and Brett was interpreted only one way: they fought, like some male animals, over her and Jack was proclaimed a victor. Girls were swooning over the macho display and most of the guys decided to avoid Kim just to be on the safe side. Kim scoffed at all this nonsense, telling Grace that no girl should be flattered by a brutish behavior, but she could not convince her friend otherwise. In general, people felt like Jack was turning into a more decisive and determine guy, who also excelled in athletics.

Kim agreed on one point with the general population of the school: Jack was more decisive now, more serious, and certainly more flaunting of their relationship.

Milton agreed. She and him were finishing up their project, deciding to skip Jack as a model and using just Kim's arm for the presentation, when the topic of Jack's try-outs came up.

"I must say, Jack's performance with the dodge ball was impressive. I knew he was agile, but the speed was incredible and the curveball he threw was pretty good." Milton told her as they were filming her arm movement, while she stretched and flexed the hand.

"I thought you weren't there."

"I... I was... observing," Milton equivocated and she simply raised an eyebrow at him. "Fine, I was watching Jack. He seemed very testy at lunch on Monday, so I thought I'd observe."

"Testy how?" Kim wasn't sure if she wanted to hear it judging by his expression.

"Tense. Snappy. Suspicious. And, obviously, jealous..."

"But he wasn't jealous. Brett talked some smack about me and Jack reacted. Or overreacted." She trailed off and then continued. "I agree that he was a little tense, but I think it's because the aftermath of the possession left him a little unsettled."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, we know how he is about hurting someone smaller," Milton nodded quickly. They all knew about Jack's attitude towards bullies. His hero mantle that he assumed since starting school as a new kid. "And he hurt me, when he was possessed. You should have seen his face when he saw bruises on my arms and back. It was like he hated himself so much at the time, it almost made me cry. And then he was afraid to touch me, as if I would break immediately or would recoil from him."

Kim was silent for a bit reliving that moment in her room.

"So you think he is just hyper-protective of you as a reaction to the things he's done while possessed?" At her nod he continued, "It would make sense... And, I suppose, he is worried that you might break up with him over the whole thing..." Milton was deep in thought and she could see he was doing some sort of mental cataloguing and calculations.

"You are probably right..."

She almost heard his mental 'but.' Thankfully, Milton has not brought this subject again that afternoon. For her part Kim thought that Jack's behavior was understandable. She herself had quite a time with the events of Halloween. Like her dreams. These past few days her dreams were both strange and scary. Hard to describe, as they often would fade quickly, leaving behind just feelings and sensations. She was sure she was in them with Jack. They were happy: she remembered thinking it was spring, as there were plenty of flowers that looked gorgeous and smelled even better. Then, there was a sensation of the storm, darkness creeping over her happy place and someone's angry voice would often wake her up.

* * *

That first night vigil by Kim's window led to more such nights. He told himself that it was simply the precaution and the hangover from the possession - a PTSD, if you will. Yoshimi clearly had a major hangup about Mariko leaving him for another and the spirit was obsessed with both making her his again and making her safe from others. It was a potent cocktail of emotions and, coupled with Jack's own - sometimes protective, sometimes jealous - feelings for Kim, it made sense that he was still overreacting.

Yes, this was an overreaction, that was more harmful to himself than any body else, who was not named Brett. Or Albert. But most importantly, it did not hurt Kim and in fact ensured that she was safer than before.

He appeased his guilty mind with these arguments and barely noticed when in place of his control, he found himself chasing after her with an almost foolish abandon. He shadowed her step and watched. Stupid, voyeuristic, stalkerish things he would never have dreamed of doing before. During the day, at school, he the most at peace because she was within the same building and he often crossed paths with her: in classes, hallways, lunch room.

After the first night, when he saw her to her home, he surreptitiously left the window latch open and now, when he came to hold his vigil, he could actually get inside the room. Where she was waiting for him, hair spilling over her bare shoulders, light covers doing little to hide her delicate form from his gaze. The old Jack would have recoiled at this, but, as he convinced himself, this was temporary. It was the PTSD, he was concerned for her safety and it was worse when he was away from her. Because then, in his own room, she was there in the darkness too, still smiling and reaching out to him, gentle fingers smoothing over his sides. In those strange moments, in that haze, not quite asleep, not quite awake, he almost felt her. Her touch was cool in contrast his heated skin. An apparition real enough to fool his troubled mind, only to disintegrate like fog or smoke... He would awaken with her still flooding his senses, dominating his thoughts: fear and longing in equal measure making his heart speed up and his hands clench. There was seemingly only her.

He learned to control some of it when they are together. It seemed counter-intuitive, but when she was within reach, his anxiety would subside, but his _want_ for her would grow. It was near constant now and he blamed it on both the possession hang-over and his own body's responses - he was a teenaged boy after all. He already was quite taken with all the physical aspects of the relationship and now the anxiety and fear were making him long for physical connection as the reassurance.

Most of the time he managed to keep it to himself until they were relatively secluded and then the make-outs were a blissful cocoon of heady want and satisfaction that made his troubled mind rest and his body relax. Sometimes, it would strike him at oddest moments, like when she tripped in the hallway near the English class.

She was in a rush that morning, chatting animatedly on the phone with one of her friends. Her hands were full with her phone, bottled water, back pack, purse, glasses... She got tangled in her own scarf (a new one, light blue with swirls of darker colours coalescing into stars) and it made her drop the backpack. Obviously the momentum carried her foot and she tripped on the object on the ground, gasping as she careened forward.

With the reflexes of his trained body, he had her in his arms before she could hit the floor, kicking the backpack out of the way and it flew across the hall.

Her hands clapped automatically to his arms and clung there.

"There, sweet...heart, I got you," he soothed, drawing her trembling body to his chest. She seemed so much smaller now. Fragile. Delicate.

He didn't want to let her go.

She went limp in his embrace and exhaled loudly, the momentary adrenaline surge of expected fall still flooding her. He rearranged her in his arms, flipping her so that she faced him now and catching her legs behind the knees. He somehow zeroed in on the fluttering hummingbird of her pulse point (where makeup covered the recent love bite) and her quickened breath fanned over his face. She sighed something barely audible like ' _my knight in gi_ ' and turned her face into his chest and pressed her cheek over his heart and he swore his heart lurched to get closer to her.

And it was utterly ridiculous. And yet it felt true.

Like he was drugged his feet chose their own path across the floor into the classroom, telling Jerry to pick up her backpack. She fussed that she could walk herself, but her smile was secretive and pleased and he just carried her in. He placed her on the desk and looked down at the girl, her position doing nothing to cure the height differential. Still so small and delicate.

She was looking at him from underneath the lashes (darker than her remembered; mascara then, he decided) and Jack was pulled into her. He was distantly aware that they were in the class room, not alone, a teacher would be coming in any time, but he was trapped in the moment. Her eyes were swimming and dazed. She looked like she was drunk - but he felt it too - as she slipped her innocent palm to rest over his wildly beating heart.

His mind decided that she should not be touching him right now (see all the above about public space), but the rest of him protested and he brushed her tousled curls back from her cheek. The texture was spun silk and it should be familiar, because he touched it many times, but it felt so good on his fingers, making him push them deep through the soft waves, his nails grazing over the warmth of her scalp.

The space narrowed to just them and he stopped the hand in her hair to cradle the back of the head, tilting it just so and her eyes already were sliding close, when the pointed clearing of the throat from the teacher and, more importantly, a kick to his calf from Jerry, made him straighten up and step away from Kim.

"Mr. Brewer, Ms. Crawford. Please refrain from such exhibition in the future. This classroom is for studying English and English Literature, not human biology." The teacher's tone was mild, but Jack still bristled at the rebuke. Kim, blushing madly, scurried to take a seat without looking at him and he sighed. She would be skittish now.

But that incident set the tone for the day and he kept catching himself standing close to Kim, brushing against her and stealing quick kisses. He ended up carrying most of her things, as she talked to Milton and Jerry about the final details of Phil's surprise.

When the surprise ended up being being a little too unexpected and the gang had to pretend to be Phil's children (Kim and Jerry) and employees (Rudy and Jack), he laughed internally at the familiarity of it all. The only thing bothering him were the carefree hugs that Jerry insisted on giving to Kim. As a brother.

Or the thoroughly dismissive way Phil's mother talked of Kim. He bristled, indignant at her expense, and only Kim's hand on his back calmed him enough to just roll his eyes.

She had to stay for a 'family' dinner with Phil, his mom, Jerry and Joan, and Jack only managed a small kiss while the old woman looked away.

He hated the pretense as he watched her go, waiting for her to leave his sight before collecting her forgotten scarf. He tucked it in his jacket, scoffing at himself for the utterly sappy move, but relishing the feel and the scent of the cloth.

Now, sitting at his writing desk, Jack run the fabric between his fingers, intoxicated and disgusted in equal measure. The thing was soft and smelled like her, light, crisp, floral. He was amazed that he'd memorized that scent; it chased him home, haunted his dreams, lingered around his fingers well after he's washed her away. Like her image in his head, it was everywhere now, her mark on him.

He frowned, tucking the scarf away in one of the desk drawers. It's easier to (pretend to) forget it was even there. So he focused on homework and, tried, honestly, to apply himself to his studies. He even looked over the highlights of of some greatest football players as a preparation for the try-out. Quarterbacks and wide receivers, because Milton explained to him that his performance in the dodgeball - specifically, his speed and agility at the interception and the power behind his throws - would make him suitable for those roles. He, in the very masculine pride, relished the fact that he might unseat Brett as the QB. His suspension was over, but the grounding would be finished tonight and he could go back to the regular schedule with the possible addition of a new team sport.

All of this was important and should have held his attention.

But it absolutely failed. And Jack knew, in a weird moment of clarity that it should frighten him that he could only focus of something if had connection to Kim, but he also didn't care.

* * *

He finally got the phone back and his first call is to Kim. She sounded weary because the lies on behalf Phil were growing bigger and Mima, as Phil's mom apparently was called, was taking her role as Kim's grandma quite seriously. Kim jokingly told Jack that Mima though her ugly and he scoffed at the absurdity of it.

"You are beautiful." He said with conviction and she laughed quietly.

"Thanks, Jack. But I think you are supposed to say that, as my boyfriend. Oh, that reminds me, Mima thinks that I'll never land a boyfriend." Kim said it lightly, but Jack was upset.

"It doesn't matter what she thinks. You already have one."

"I know... But, like, in their culture parents' approval is key, so if she doesn't think I am fetching g enough, so would other, prospective Hakhmakhi in-laws. Of course it's all so ridiculous, I mean, I am only 16." Kim laughed again, a disbelieving sort of reaction and he went along and laughed too.

But when they finished talking he kept coming back to their conversation. Parents could be key in determining a young girl's future... Some part of him rebelled against that notion. Some inexplicable reason made him worry and mad about Mima and her attitudes.

His dreams that night took a different tenor. In them, Kim was actually Phil's daughter and Mima did not approve of him. Of course, this being a dream, it was jerky and jumpy and one scene (of Mima scowling at Jack and pulling Kim away) was replaced by another of Kim sitting at Phil's falafel shop with Brett, apparently on the date with smiling Mima in the background. When Jack, feeling like his legs were hobbled by something, stumbled into the café Kim looked at him with sad eyes, her lip swollen and face pale, and said that she was not his anymore.

Jack woke up tangled in sheet, kicking and garbling some curse out, to find that clock showed only 2am. The rage and fear were still coursing through him, making his heart pump at double the speed and his hands shake uncontrollably. The remnants of the dream and snippets of conversation between Kim and Brett at the nurses' office filled his mind, painting pictures and scenarios one worse than the other. He shook his head against this onslaught, achieving very little.

And like he knew he would inevitably do, he left his room to check on Kim...

The next morning her was at her house bright and early, ignoring the deeper dark circles under his eyes betraying his poor sleep. Truthfully, he did not feel weaker or tired. As his game of dodge ball and a few karate practices showed, he actually was stronger (a weird growth spurt, no doubt). Her mom let him in and he reached her room in record time.

Kim was brushing her hair and was startled to see him in her room. Whatever greeting or question she had, died on her lips as she took in his appearance. She stood still looking into his eyes in the mirror and he slowly made his way to her. First a touch to her shoulder, then the base of the neck, then a slide of fingers around to trace the delicate clavicle and the dip at the base of the throat. Her head fell back against him, an exhale of _Jack..._ It was enough and he turned her around in his arms and kissed her forehead first. Another kiss on her cheek, close to her ear, then another on her jaw. By the time his lips closed over her pulse point, her fingers were curled in his hair, around his arm pulling him close. She gasped, lips parting even as his made a harrowing course across her collarbone, fingers deftly pulling up the shirt she wore to touch the skin on the waist. His other hand dug through her hair, cradling the back of the head, just as he pressed into the small of her back, making her arch and push into him.

She whimpered quietly, tugging on his hair until he raised his head just enough for her to find his mouth, tongue seeking his desperately. Jack has moved them at this point to the closest door, where that mirror hung, and his hands planted firmly with a thud against the door on either side of her (leaving instantly a foggy imprint on the shiny surface), his body trapping her against the wood, knee sliding between hers.

Her mom's cooking - a loud clang of the pan and the sizzle of something being fried - permeated the bubble around them and Kim reluctantly pulled back, or rather to the side, breathing audibly.

"Hello..." she said finally, impishly. "Missed me?" She was looking at him from underneath the lashes, eyes bright and hair disheveled and he chuckled an easy laughter in response.

"So, so much."

A/N: So, he is getting worse and Kim is having some conflicting reactions (she sees he is not quite the same, but at the same time she is enjoying the new closeness.) But, she talked to Milton and they are both watching Jack now.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I thank you all for reading and reviewing this story. I do respond to reviews, especially if a person is registered. I would PM them directly.

To Glinda: you have great imagination. You should try writing. I plotted this story out from the beginning and, of course, I don't want to ruin Jack's life. He and his friends will face this problem head-on. You will see that development soon (next chapter). They might not fully understand it yet, but they are getting there (I do not want to give away the plot just yet, but there are some hints in the previous chapters). While Ghostbusters, both the original and remake, were wonderful movies, there won't be any ecto-plasm machines. I also don't plan to involve Albert or Brett too much. It is always harder for me to write ensemble stories. I sometimes have difficulties writing Jerry (I mean to convincingly portray him, his speech patterns, his characterization), let alone some episodic characters. So, if you don't see them utilized as you hoped, consider it a failing of mine as a writer. I also answered emeralgreenlove that Jack won't be forcing himself on Kim.

I hope this answers some of your questions and suggestions.

* * *

He aced his try-outs. He would be the wide receiver and the alternate quarterback. Which was not surprising: residual anger and fear (and an unhealthy amount of jealousy) fueled his performance, with added stimuli of seeing Brett bested.

And because Kim was talking to Brett amiably on the sidelines (she was his!). He and his newly enhanced motor skills spun the 'spheroid' (thanks, Milton) so that the football smacked Brett on the back of the head and, despite the perfunctory reprimand, he could see the coach was impressed.

Jack reveled in the decision, if only because Brett had to formally congratulate him. Jack squeezed his hand hard enough to make Brett not exactly wince, but lock eyes with Jack knowingly. And then Jack proceeded to kiss Kim a little harder and longer than was strictly appropriate in front of his new teammates. When he was done Kim pulled back looking at him askance, questions obvious in her eyes, and he soothed her, by kissing her nose gently.

"I am just glad I'll get to spend more time with you now." She smiled at that, pleased and relaxed and he smirked at his teammates, who hollered and whistled.

It was good that he got to monitor what went down at all those games. It would keep Brett on short leash and help Jack himself feel better. As it was, she has been busy recently placating Mima and trying to help Phil with the pretense. Jack got a first hand experience with Mima and her strong opinions and only because she was an old woman, an elder, that he did not go off on her.

That night, after another nightmare with Kim disappearing like the morning fog over the river burning in the morning sun, Jack had to concede that he could not _stay away_ from her. Another night of watching her sleep and another early morning trip to her house. This time he skipped going through the front door and easily climbed the pergola to tap lightly on her window.

Kim was so surprised, she stood frozen for a moment, her phone in her hand _(who was she talking to?_ ) and he had to smile and wave his hand in exaggerated fashion to get her to open the window.

"What are doing? Why the window?" she was whispering while pulling him through.

"You forgot this."

She stared at her scarf and then slowly lifted the phone, "I'll call you back."

"You... kept it?" There was something, tremulous and unsure, in her voice that he did not like. She made it sound unhealthy and suspect.

He put the scarf over her neck and pulled her gently to him, "Well, you had that 'family' dinner with Mima and I forgot it yesterday..."

They stood millimeters apart and he could feel her reluctance _(why?),_ so he spoke his next words in a low whisper, fanning the small tendrils at he temple. "It smells like you. I like it... I held it close to me and it was like you were there... with me... everywhere..."

His hand came up, tucking a stray bit of hair behind her ear, the vibrant gold falling around his hand. Her arms fell on his biceps, gesture still gentle to be considered defensive, and he only had to lean a little more to close the last bit of distance between them.

Kim's lips were soft and yielding beneath his own, whatever reservations she felt ( _why? why?_ ) were making her hesitant.

So he erased her concerns by bringing her lips to his, and Kim's tense body soon relaxed into him while their mouths moved together in a series of long, leisurely kisses.

When Kim sighed _Jaaack_ audibly into his mouth, it was by far the hottest thing Jack had ever heard. He eagerly deepened their kiss until it became hard and urgent, a sense of desperate need developing between them... She clutched at him with new strength, swiping her tongue over his lips, small hands on his biceps, nails managing to bite at his skin through the fabric of his shirt, surging up to meet him.

The scarf fell between them, drifting to the floor, as he pushed her to the wall. She was something so small, so delicate, his hands roving the length of her torso, sweeping over her hips before tracing upward over her breasts, not quite touching them (yet). Kim let out a low exhalation, her tongue flicking his own as she pulled him closer.

Yes... This was perfect...

Her hands felt small and cool as they dug into his shoulders. Stepping closer, her back arched as her body searched for his. Hunched over as he was, it was out of reach.

Without thought, his hands dragged down the curve of her back, incidentally committing each millimeter to memory. His palms slowed over the subtle flare of her hips; he could feel the hipbone under the soft skin on his palms, but his fingers spread to dip into the flesh of her butt. While his lips continued to explore that giving mouth, he straightened, luxuriantly pulling her up his body like she weighed nothing. He relished the way the supple swell of her breasts caressed the hard ridges of abdomen and chest until they were pressed soundly to his chest. He could feel her heart madly pumping in syncopation with his own as her legs instinctively encircled his waist.

"Oh, fuck..."

The curse was ground into Kim's mouth and he could feel the smile on those lips, sweet and indulgent.

Hungry hands, now free from holding her up, roamed everywhere and he brought them close to her breasts, bold and unthinking in the rush of the moment. His mouth was already on that spot between the shoulder and neck, worrying the skin into a satisfying love bite, which also made her squirm and whimper. One such move made her grind into _him_ and it was Jack's turn to groan and he instinctively thrust up into her, the pressure and sensation making his vision blurry.

"Fuuuuuck..."

The curse was practically growled into her ear and could sense the goosebumps on her skin, a reaction to his reaction, an infinity loop of sensation and feedback.

She pulled his head up by pulling on his hair and the next kiss was hard and deep, hips bucking up against her in a small taste of what he wanted to do.

"You feel so good," he murmured against her lips, giving her a particularly suggestive thrust and she almost squeaked and threw her head back...

Right into the wall, making a thudding sound.

"Ow," she breathed just as he mumbled, "ouch, you ok?"

She brought her hand up to rub at the sore spot and he followed with his own. Soon, the ache was soothed, but it did diminish the mood for them and she put her legs down, making him (reluctantly) step back.

"I have to go grab breakfast... Oh, crap!" she whispered to him, just as she looked at herself in the mirror. She went about fixing her appearance, while still talking to him, "you need to go back out and come through the front."

He knew she was right, but he was having some rather obvious issues with doing it right now.

"Jack!" Kim was impatient. "You need to..."

"Just give me a second, sweetheart," he said casually. "I am rather not fit to be seen yet, if you know what I mean..."

"Wha...?" she turned to look at him and he did not event try to angle himself away from her. Her eyes fell on to his fly, where a noticeable bulge gave away his state, and she blushed furiously at what she saw. Just as quickly she turned away, but he was still visible in the mirror and he saw her sneak a look at _him_ again. When she looked up to meet his eyes, he could not help a cocky insouciant smirk curl his lips.

She liked what she saw...

* * *

Kim felt like her life was changing too quickly. Somehow the Halloween changed the pace and the tone of the interactions with so many people in her life. She lied to her parents about the party and the origin of the lip injury. She was positive they did not believe her. She was even more positive that her dad blamed Jack for it. And in a way, it was Jack's fault - as in his lips caused it, but that was not the full story. In the meantime her dad was watching Jack closely and made sure she knew to leave the door open, whenever Jack was visiting. Of course, that was mostly for show and her did not actually walk by the door to check on them. Plus, he could not know about the time Jack climbed into her room?

Then she lied to her parents again about Jack's suspension and grounding, because she could already imagine how her dad would react to that.

Then there was a keeping secrets from Grace. Although, in Kim's defense, Grace was a gossip and would not be able to keep any secrets, even if Kim made her swear. Kim rather not add to to the soap opera that her life was according to the official gossip in Seaford High.

She also did not tell Milton or Jerry about Jack and his more forward and assertive attitudes when they were alone. They made out a lot and Jack was raising the level of their intimacy with each encounter. The latest stint with the surprise visit through the window and the near dry-humping by the wall was so hot and heavy, she was still blushing. Which was why she would never tell this to other boys. Never. Milton would blush something fierce and Jerry... She'd rather not imagine what Jerry would say and do with that sort of information. It was enough that Kim herself wondered if she had a personality disorder for acting so... so... wanton.

She did not tell Milton about her conversation with Brett. She was not sure what it would achieve: she did not want to lend the crazy story about an ex and the current boyfriends fighting over her like some peacocks any more credence.

But she was beginning to question whether there was something off with Jack. And not just the processing of the event of Halloween. She saw the change in him, even if it was fractional. While she did not see most of the jealous outbursts, there was not denying that Jack was very overtly protective with her. He was very vocally praising her and paying her compliments, making every girl envious and every other boyfriend pale in comparison. He was also far more passionate and sometimes, when he was focused and quiet, she felt that his entire attention was on her and her only. It was unnerving.

And then there was this morning. She was not sure exactly what it was: the scarf that he kept or the fact that he so easily climbed into her window like... like he knew what he was doing. She supposed he did. He was strong. Stronger that before, although he did show a dramatic improvement in his martial arts, so it was possible that it was simply the effect of better or consistent training. But, he was strong, he climbed those stupid peg boards all the time in the dojo, so climbing the pergola was not a challenge. And the scarf thing... He explained himself and it all was neat and logical, but...

Kim sat in the passenger seat of the car. Jack was driving them to school and she was trying desperately not to look at him. Because despite the changes and all the the events since Halloween, Kim was still attracted (even more so) to him and this morning's interlude was making it hard for her to concentrate on anything else.

 _I can't look at him. If I look, I will never stop. I'll look and drool over those arms and hands, the sure strength in them, the agility of his fingers._

Oh, god, those arms held her up this morning and those fingers were almost cupping her breast and she wanted, really wanted, him to do it. To finally touch her because anticipation was driving her mad.

So she stared out the front window, at her hands, into the mirrors, anywhere but at him.

Kim was not sure what was happening. But she never felt such …

The thought made her blush... Such lust.

When they were alone, him close to her, all these thoughts would disappear. Kim's doubt would simply evaporate under his heated gaze. When he climbed in this morning morning, Kim was so surprised and... and questioning his presence, but then he stepped closer...

She felt him undressing her with his gaze, though his eyes never left hers. It was as if he could see past her, past clothing, makeup, perfume, to her true self. Tension radiated out of him, not nervous so much as … intently withholding. He was restraining himself, through tremendous force. She was excited by it, terrified of it. She felt safe with him, but also didn't. It felt as if he could lose control any minute, and … and she wanted him to.

Jack wasn't making it easy. Every time her eyes skittered to his face or look at him through rear view mirror, his unrepentant and cocky smirk would greet her, but his eyes were the same intense and dark pools that made her feel like her skin was raw.

By the time they reached school Kim was upset and relieved that she did not have the first class with him. She threw a mumbled _bye_ at him and got out of the car. She knew he was watching her and it was making the love bite on her neck throb.

To feel the curve of his mouth, the touch of his fingertips, the...

This must stop. She had a class ahead of her. Being a hormonal teenager sucked sometimes...

By the time her first class was over Kim recovered her equilibrium and went to the next class determined to have a conversation she felt like she needed to have.

Milton was already there, his things neatly laid out in front of him. She dropped into the seat next to him and said instead of a greeting.

"We need to talk. I need your perspective on something serious. About Jack..." she said ominously and Milton whipped his head at her sharply.

"Did you break up with Jack?" His eyes were free of judgment, but full of determination.

"What?! No!" she exclaimed and smacked his arm for good measure.

"But you want to, right?"

She smacked him again.

"Ok, but just for the record, I am not interested if you are looking for someone else." Milton said with a painfully earnest face.

Kim huffed in exasperation. "Don't flatter yourself, you're not my type."

"Oh," said Milton, looking relieved. "I just thought if things are still touchy with you and Jack and I thought you might be at the 'any port in a storm' point of it all."

"Trust me, there will never be a storm bad enough to make me dock at that particular port," she grunted and then gave a really hard smack on Milton's arm that moved him a little in his seat.

Milton righted himself and was looking at the blackboard. "Thanks, Kim, that was starting to get awkward."

"Starting to...?" repeated Kim, rolling her eyes.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I... I think that Jack isn't handling the aftermath of the possession very well," she said quieter and far more serious than the previous exchange.

Milton looked at her for a long moment and then pulled his tablet and opened the folder titled Possession. "Okay, we are prepared. I have done some research so we only have to..."

Kim shook her head. "Milton! I thought more along the lines of the trauma and post-traumatic stress..."

"Oh... Are you sure?" at her resolute nod he closed the folder and out away the tablet. "All right, let's consider your theory, but if its not the answer, just remember, I have the research."

She sighed and went about to tell Milton of her observations and conclusions. Milton was attentive ans she could see him mentally cataloging her points. When she was done, she looked at him, "so, do you think he has some sort of PTSD?"

"You know, your theory does make a lot of sense. He lost control of himself, quite literally, hurt you, thought he might have lost you... I still think it's possible that he is suffering some sort of possession poisoning." Milton said thoughtfully. When Kim looked at him in exasperation, he flowed on, "he housed Yoshimi for a time and Yoshimi was quite a determined spirit. Maybe some of his character traits overlapped with Jack's nicely and ... amplified them, if you will. Jack was always a little jealous of you paying attention to any other guy. Then comes Yoshimi with his obsession with Mariko and now Jack is extra jealous."

She was thoughtful for a moment. "Ok, it is possible. What is a solution to that?"

"It is always the matter of balance and Jack's own personality has to adjust back to his 'normal' default state. I think only time would correct it." Milton said and patted her hand. "Sorry it's not a more useful response."

"That's fine. What about the post traumatic stress? I did some cursory review and we need to get him to talk through the event. Make him explain what he felt then and how he feels now. I am not sure if he would open up to me willingly, if I, or rather our relationship is one of the triggers..." Kim trailed off despondent and Milton patted her hands again.

"I can try to set up a situation, where I bring up Halloween and start with how I felt. Maybe poke Jerry for his input. Hopefully Jack would volunteer some information as well." Milton was silent for a moment, fidgeting with his tablet, "if it goes nowhere, or if doesn't improve, we need to consider the paranormal, Kim." This time his bright blue eyes looked at her with determination.

"You think the spirit is not gone?" she asked quietly, afraid to even consider the possibility.

"It should be full gone. The unfinished business was completed: you kissed him and then some..." Milton said and Kim blushed hotly again. "But, it could be that he re-possessed Jack again."

"But we would have seen that. It was very obvious when he was there on Halloween!" Kim protested.

"I know, I know. And it makes no sense, but Jack is 'off' and something is going on... I told you I am not an expert on it. We might have to talk to the temple priest about it."

"But first, lets rule out PTSD, ok?"

They agreed on the plan and Kim felt marginally better.


	11. Chapter 11

Wasabi boys were all lounging waiting for Kim to finish getting dressed, when Milton clumsily dropped a book he was reading. It fell to reveal itself to be a book of Japanese folk tales. Jack picked the book and gave it Milton with a quizzically raised brow, "Some light reading?"

Milton's lip quirked at this literary reference and answered, "I guess so. It's just, after the Halloween, I was a little preoccupied with what happened and this is my way of dealing with it all."

Jack's brow lifted even higher, "Preoccupied? How? I thought you just did that ghost research."

"Yes, preoccupied. I was looking Yoshimi straight in the face and I saw abyss." Milton was looking a Jack at this point and Jack was uncomfortably reminded that those abyss-like eyes were actually his. _The boy just would not let go._ "These sort of things tend to stay with a man. I suppose I am trying to reassure myself that such things are rare." Milton said it all in slow and measured voice, keeping it even and casual.

Jack remained silent in response, although his eyes narrowed a little at the redhead.

"What about you Jerry? Do you think about Halloween at all? About Yoshimi?" Milton asked solicitously of his curly-haired friend.

"I did. I even had nightmares first two nights. Those eyes were freaky... And I had that bruise from when he pushed me." Jerry offered almost cheerfully, as if happy to retell the story, despite the heavy subject.

"You did? Nightmares? Did it get better for you?" Jack asked curious, keeping to himself the fact that he was still suffering from them.

"Well, I told my ma, and she told my abuela, and abuela took me to santero immediately." Jerry said as if it was the most obvious answer.

"Santero?" Jack repeated. "Is it like in church or something?"

"Santero, Jack, is a priest of the Sanateria, which is a syncretic religion of Caribbean origin that developed in the Spanish Empire among West African descendants. _Santeria_ is also a Spanish word that means the worship of saints. Santería is influenced by and syncretized with Roman Catholicism."* Milton promptly responded before Jerry could say anything. Show off...

"What and what?" Jack said confused and curious.

"Its was the original religion of the West Africans that spread through the Caribbean and Latin America during the time of the Spanish, Portuguese and French rule. It morphed to incorporate the Catholic lore and saints as well. It is called a parallel religiosity."

"Okaaay..." Jack was obviously still confused, but decided to let go. "So, did it help?" he asked addressing Jerry.

"Well, santero chanted and burned some grass around me. Told some weird story and made me throw some shells around. After that he said I should not worry as the Oricha will protect me and gave me some herbal teas to drink for three days." Jerry said and the other two boys stared at him again.

Finally, Milton asked, "Did it work?"

"Oh, yeah. The bruise faded and dreams stopped."

"And you, Jack?" Milton addressed him. "Did you have any memories or dreams afterwards?"

His face showed only curiosity, but Jack thought he saw a glimmer of something in his blue eyes, like Milton was waiting to unleash some sort of lecture or information dump on him if only Jack said the right word.

"...No. I don't remember anything from that evening. And I had no dreams," Jack finally said, reassuring himself that he was not exactly lying. He did not have dreams, he had nightmares.

Later, lying in his bed, soaked in sweat and heart pounding hard after another nightmare, Jack conceded even if only to himself that there must be something wrong with him that was tied to Yoshimi. He needed to see if that santero could help him as well. It would not hurt to try.

* * *

"Thank you for doing this."

The gate doors closed as Jerry looked over at Jack standing beside him at the sound his gruff words. It wasn't often that Jerry was consulted for things, being admittedly a less academically inclined of the bunch. When Jack called him at the ungodly early hour on Saturday, sounding tired, Jerry was immediately awake. Recently Jack has been so alert and hyper, it sounded strange when he was tired and unsure. Then Jack asked about santero and Jerry did a double take at his phone. After Jack told him about his nightmares, which made him super, like, freaked out over Kim and her safety, Jerry did not even question it. His friend needed some help, so he would help.

Jack was staring at the house doors ahead of them, his jaw hardened in grim determination to see this through. Jerry gave a lop-sided smile. "No problem, man, I'm happy to help. I hope it works."

Jack glanced over at him. "Are you sure this person can help me?"

"No," said Jerry honestly, "but he's the only santero I know, so unless you wanna check some other options, this is the best chance you've got."

Jack looked away and nodded slowly, retreating back into silence as they knocked on the door.

"This guy, Miguel, he is a friend of abuela's," offered up Jerry. "He's an expert in healing. Spiritual and physical. It's kind of a his specialty."

"He's a witch, I mean, warlock?"

"No, santeros are like priests. They have to study and pass certain trials to get the designation of santero. Some of them are healers. They try to balance the physical and spiritual. They have guidance of Oricha, like gods, when they are possessed."

Jack's eyebrows shot up to the hairline and he took a step back. "Possessed? Are you serious? Why did you bring me here?" he choked out and looked at Jerry in shock.

"Shhhh!" Jerry actually tried to put his hand over Jack's mouth, but he quickly batted the hand away. "Don't yell! And yes, possessed. BUT, not by evil spirits or restless ghosts. They allow gods to take their bodies and this way gods' will and knowledge is known to santeros. Gods! Comprende?"

Jack nodded and swallowed hard. "Gods, huh? Have you seen this santero possessed by a god?"

"Not this one, no. But, when we visited family in Columbia, I did. That was some fun. Gods apparently like to dance and play drums. The santera was shacking and jumping, singing some gibberish and lurching from side to side. Even fell on the ground and rolled around. "

Jack frowned. "Santeros become unstable?"

"Totally," confirmed Jerry without hesitation.

"And you thought this is a good idea?"

"Well, (a) you have not other options, (b) santero does not need to be possessed to do the healing, and (c) did I mention this is the only santero I know here?"

Jack nodded at the truth of the statement. "Can we hurry this up?" Jack asked impatiently.

"Got somewhere to be?" Jerry kept talking. "Don't tell me, you're planning on driving to Kim's house or calling her several times before bed time?"

Jack didn't answer, just kept walking, muscle ticking in his cheek.

Jerry easily kept up, "Hit a nerve, huh? At least you are not cursed with obsessive love spell. Those poor guys do all sorts of weird shit. Drive bys, ringing and hanging up, pictures, lurking in her bushes."

Jack sent him a look and quickly looked away before Jerry saw that. He never knew his friend believed in witchcraft _. I am not cursed._

When they finally entered the back yard, where this santero was seeing people, Jack stopped for a second to absorb the scene. There was chiminea and a whole bunch of various pots (clay, copper and porcelain), multiple bones (animal, he hoped), some drums in the corner of the yard, and a tent with bunches of dried and fresh herbs hanging from the four beams that held up the thatched roof. There, sitting on a beach chair, was a middle aged man with dark skin and multiple beaded necklaces hanging off his neck.

He shivered, suddenly feeling the ominous foreboding and his feet almost made to leave on their own. He squeezed his fists and clenched his jaw against this feeling of discomfort and... apprehension. No, not apprehension. Anger tinged with impatience. Stubborn determination and the desire to see Kim safe, even if it meant being in the presence of possibly unstable santero and, hopefully, animal bones. ( _Did they make animal sacrifices here? Was it even legal? If it wasn't, he needed to remember that address. Just in case he needed to set this santero right._ _What? What the hell_?)

Jack stuck his hand into his jacket pocket, not caring. His hand immediately felt for the bracelet he'd secreted away there. It was the one Kim gave him when they started dating. He normally didn't wear it, but he started using it. There had been something so compelling about taking an item which had been against Kim's skin. Jack ran his fingers over the little piece of jewelry, feeling it calm him. Touching it was by extension touching her and it was all he could think about these days. What she felt like to touch, the smell of her in his nostrils and the taste of her in his mouth. His heart started to thump erratically in his chest and his breathing roughened slightly. The bracelet bead bit into his flesh as he gripped it so tightly he almost drew blood. Sweat ran down his back and dampened his shirt and Jack was glad he'd opted to keep his jacket on, so no one could see. It'd been too long since he'd seen Kim and like an addict he was jonesing for his next fix. _I need to see her!_

Santero still has not acknowledged them and Jack just wanted to scream. _This is useless! I need to make sure Kim is safe!_

As if Jack has spoken aloud, Miguel looked up at him, blinking dazedly. "Oh, Jerry Martinez, hello again. Are you feeling any better?"

"Si, gracias."

Miguel looked over at Jack. "Is this a friendly visit or professional?"

Jerry inclined his head towards Jack. "My friend here had the interaction with the same ghost that I saw. He was even..." Jerry offered but stopped when santero raised his hand.

Miguel's intent gaze was on Jack as his dark eyes looked over. "So I see," he murmured. "Looks like the 'interaction' was a bad one."

Jack's jaw hardened. He didn't like the feeling of being so easily read. "Jerry said you can help me." _I don't need help! I am fine!_

"I said might be able to help," interjected Jerry quickly. "This is out of my depth but I thought you might have some insight."

Miguel gave Jack a last piercing look and nodded. "I'll do my best. Balance of energies is important. If you'll excuse me for just a moment, young men. Please, make yourselves comfortable and sit down." He swept up to point at the two wooden stools in front of him, while getting up to get something by the far corner.

Jerry went and sat down, but not before picking up a remnant of the burnt twig. He looked unsure and quickly shoved it into a nearby pot. He looked up at Jack. "Take a seat, man, you're making the place look untidy."

Jack hesitated briefly but then took a seat next to the other boy. He put his hands on his knees and stared ahead, jaw set tensely. Jack couldn't help but wonder what Kim was doing right then. His face clouded over as he wondered if she was with anyone, Brett or Milton. She and Brett were still friendly. In his mind's eye he imagined the quarterback touching her, kissing her. Unnoticed, his hands balled into fist as a pure, hot streak of jealousy ran through his entire body at the thought of anyone but him ever have touched Kim. The blood left his knuckles, fists tightening even more as he imagined Kim kissing Brett back. The rage almost overcoming him at that thought. He wanted Brett dead in that moment. Jack wanted to tear him apart with his bare hands for even looking at her. His mind easily brought back the memory of his fist hitting Brett with the satisfying _thunk_ and the bright red spot on the jaw. He should have done more then...

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Jack snapped out of his dark and painful fantasy to see a concerned looking Jerry staring at him. Jerry glanced down at the white-knuckled fists Jack was making. "Or not," he said hastily.

Jack forced himself to unclench his hands and push back on his jealousy and rage. He knew where Kim was: she was shopping with her mom for Thanksgiving. The thought calmed Jack a little and he drew in an uneven breath. "I just want this over with."

"Yeah, well, I get it. I wanted to forget that freaky ghost as well."

Jack blew out an annoyed breath, thinking of Yoshimi possessing him and being 'freaky.' _I am fine._

Miguel walked back into the front of the tent, "Okay, let's see what we have here." Walking over to a bunch of herb hanging above chiminea, he pulled one out and started rooting around his pocket. "We need to see how deep this interaction has gone." Miguel gave up looking and turned to Jerry. "I'm out of matches. Jerry, do you mind going to the kitchen and asking Marisol for some matches?"

Jerry quickly stood up. "No, of course not. I'll be right back."

"Thank you."

Jerry hurried off and now it was just the santero and Jack. He watched Miguel take a seat on the beach chair in front of him and give him a considered look. "Now that we're alone, I think it's time we had a little talk, don't you?"

Jack held his gaze steadily. "About what?"

"About the spirit entering you and taking over."

"You could tell that?" try as he might, Jack could not quite hide his own impressed reaction.

"Energies, my boy, they leave traces everywhere. You have to be able to see them, to read them."

"So, what do you see?" Jack was uncomfortable again, exposed as he was under the dark eyes of the santero, but his expression didn't change. Part of him was sizing the santero up, evaluating what kind of threat he might present to Jack. _Doughy body, middle aged, sedentary lifestyle... Not a threat._

Miguel was looking at him unblinkingly. "I'm an _Osainista_ , I'm all about the balance in this world and looking at you, I can see the balance has been shifted. You're like a rock in a stream, events are surging around you and the flow is being interrupted. That's not a good a thing."

"I'm a problem for you to solve," he interpreted. Jack leaned in closer to the man, "So solve me," he demanded. "I need out of this hangover. I need the balance in my life restored." Jack had to get this obsessive feelings out of his head. It was like the fear of losing Kim and jealousy crawled under his skin and wound their way into his soul. He had to be free of them. Or he might lose her altogether. Even as he thought those things though, his entire being rebelled. Life without Kim seemed incomprehensible to him now. It hurt to even think about her being taken from him. Jack knew that was the fear talking because there wasn't anyone trying to take her away, but that didn't stop the way he felt. Common sense had no place in this kind of raw emotion. _I need her in my life._

"At any cost?"

"Yes," Jack ground out, forcing himself to ignore the pain the thought of losing Kim caused him.

Miguel sat back and gave him a considered look, clearly seeing his conflict. "We'll see," he murmured, "we'll see."

Jack watched Miguel as she sat across from him, head cocked to one side as he obviously was contemplating Jack.

"Can you undo it?" Jack asked impatient.

"It's already been undone," Miguel reminded him. "The spirit got the kiss from his love and with that the unfinished business was concluded." He pursed his lips. "But it seems like the experience left deep groves in your soul, where the connection was the strongest." Miguel looked at Jack head-on. "Were you aware at the time?"

Jack nodded and Miguel nodded as well, "And you cared about his true love, like she is your true love?" he asked shrewdly.

Jack stopped the near automatic nod, contemplating his answer carefully. Was Kim his true love? He recently came to care about her far too deeply, but even before that, she was very important to him. _Very important._

"I don't know about true love, but I care about her. It's true," Jack finally answered.

"So there was the strongest connection. It would be hard, but we might try."

"What are you saying? The spirit is gone! There should not be any connections."

"That spirit was a bad one. Very troubled. He may be gone, but he may have left something behind."

"Like what?" Jack asked with mounting dread.

"Like obsession. Unnatural obsession."

Fuuuuck... Jack swore violently in his head. It must be it. Why he felt so unstable and feeling like he needed to be around Kim all the time.

"Just tell me if you can help me," Jack growled. _I don't need help._

"It depends on how far this has gotten into your system," he eyed Jack carefully. "You've kissed her?"

"Yes," Jack said tersely. The memory of the soft touch of her lips against his flashed back to him, quickly followed by the flood of memories, culminating in the salty bloody kiss during Halloween. He'd felt something leave his body and enter hers in that split second. At the time, Jack had assumed it was just the cure to make Yoshimi leave, but now he was beginning to suspect he'd delivered his soul into her body and he'd never feel whole again until he could claim Kim as his own forever. His eyelids drooped a little as he imagined doing just that. The way her softness would press up against his. The way it'd feel to take her in his arms and fit her against every hard angle of his body. The blood heated in his veins and he was only pulled out of his fantasy by the sound of clicking fingers.

Miguel was giving him a wary look and clicking his fingers at him. "Hey, you, a little focus, if it's not too much of a bother."

"Sorry," Jack said gruffly, moving uncomfortably in his seat.

"I didn't mean the kiss to get the spirit out," Miguel clarified. "I meant any other time."

"Of course. Kim is my girlfriend." Jack only got the glimpse of it, but he thought he saw Miguel's eyes widen in... fear? "What?" he continued warily.

"This might be a long visit."

This time Jack swore out loud.

*Santeria (Way of the Saints) is an Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba beliefs and traditions, with some Roman Catholic elements added. The religion is also known as La Regla Lucumi and the Rule of Osha. Santeria is a syncretic religion that grew out of the slave trade in Cuba. It has other names like voodoo and candomble.

A/N: so we have mixing of different cultural paranormal lore and a general misunderstanding of what is wrong with Jack. At least Jack is trying.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thank you all again for kind words. Jack is still getting the details from santero.

* * *

Kim was disappointed when Milton told her of the results of his carefully orchestrated heart-to-heart with Jerry and Jack. Apparently her boyfriend was not keen on sharing. Which was not surprising. Jack, like most people but especially teenaged boys, had trouble with being touchy-feely. She could understand of course. All those magazine articles and lectures from friends and relatives came to mind (no one wants to show their soft underbelly? it would only be easier to get hurt given that brutal world of high school politics). So she got it, but it did not help with the situation.

"Maybe you should try and have that conversation with him Kim," Milton offered while she sat morosely in her bed, clutching the phone in one hand and a tablet in another.

"I tried once. He closed off and only wanted to make sure I was fine. And even kept his hands to himself for the whole evening," she was not sulking, no matter how petulant her voice sounded.

"I guess it would be a predictable result."

"And I am afraid to mention nightmares because then Jack would feel even more guilty. At least the bruises healed, so he can be himself a little."

"Himself?" Milton asked and Kim blushed because she meant Jack went back to making out with her, which he avoided for a couple of days while bruises were visible.

"Kim?" Milton prompted after she was silent for a little too long. Yeah, Kim so was not talking to Milton about her make-outs with Jack.

"Moving on. The point is, if I start conversation with him about the after-effects of the Halloween, he would get quiet and would go back to feeling guilty all over again."

"I'll try again. And I still would urge you to talk to him, Kim. It would be good for both of you."

They lapsed into a silence and Kim mulled over her friend's words.

"So, can you believe it about Jerry and his abuela? I did not know they even practiced santeria in Colombia." Milton finally said and Kim was only too eager to change the subject.

"Isn't it like voodoo?"

"It's related in sense that they both come from the same root. But voodoo got the crappy reputation in the West because of the movies. Santeria has many aspect and one of them is healing."

"So Jerry was freaked out after Halloween and got some help from the religious healer?"

"When you say this way, it sounds so... unscientific. But, people find comfort in strange places..."

"I suppose... Maybe Jack will feel more comfortable talking to Jerry rather than you." Kim offered quietly.

"Why not me?" Milton sounded indignant.

"Well, you are so very smart, you could be... intimidating. And Jack is close to Jerry..."

"I suppose. I think he was mad at me a little after Halloween."

"Why? Because you hit him? I am sure he..." she did not get to finish her sentence.

"I have asked him pointedly about side-effects and mentioned possession to him. He was not pleased to hear it again. I also, maybe, sort of, told him he assaulted you..."

"What? Milton, why would you do that?" Kim sputtered.

"He was being defensive!" Milton spoke quickly, but then added quieter, "And he challenged my conclusions, so I may have pushed it with the whole assault issue. He nearly bent the spoon in his hand, he was so mad."

Kim was floored. And mad. She had no idea Milton just went ahead and accused Jack of assaulting her! No wonder Jack was peevish and did not want to talk about that damn Halloween with anyone. Part of her rallied against Milton for being a jerk and she nearly cussed him out for being a busy-body and only because he was apologetic did she rein in this inexplicable desire to shut him up and never question her and Jack's relationship.

She breathed through irritation and indignation and then slowly said, "I think you should not talk to him about it again. I am not sure he'd welcome that."

"Of course, Kim," Milton sounded apologetic.

"He said he has some errands with Jerry today. I'll see if I could talk to him myself," she said with finality and hang up.

* * *

Jack was watching Miguel, who was mumbling to himself and pulling various herbs from the bunches hanging around the tent.

"So, you think you got the obsession now?" santero asked suddenly startling Jack from his musing on what Kim might be doing at this moment.

"... I ... Maybe... I think..."

"Do you think of her constantly? Dream? Stalk? Steal her things?"

Jack reluctantly nodded at most of the symptoms listed, until the last one, "I did not steal anything! She gave it to me herself."

"What it is?"

"Bracelet..."

"At least its an object... That's good."

"Is it?" Jack was not so sure. Right at this point he was feeling like the worst basket-case stalker.

"I once had a guy cursed with obsessive love, he kept stealing her things. Sometimes he wore them, like you. He ended up taking her cat," said Miguel conversationally.

"That'd be a bit hard to explain," noted Jack.

"More than you know. Cat hated him and kept scratching, so he killed it. And buried it in his yard. And made a shrine to the cat and the woman right there."

"Fantastic," said Jack sarcastically. "At least I am spared this fate: Kim does not have pets."

"Yeah, that one got real nasty real quick," santero continued.

"You said balance of energies is important, you have to restore balance to this whole situation."

"Everything is out of whack," he agreed readily. "But just a heads up here, young man, restoring balance doesn't always mean that things go back to how they were," he warned Jack. "What that spirit has done has irrevocably affected the balance between you, the spirit and the girl. That can't be undone. A new balance must be sought."

"That sounded suspiciously like a disclaimer." Jack asked flatly.

Miguel gave a little shrug. "Let's just say that when it comes to triangles, someone always loses out and in this particular scenario... And given that one point in this triangle is a cursed spirit... We might not know what the new order will bring."

"I hope I'm not being charged extra for this pep talk," said Jack darkly. _How dare this quack suggest that there was any kind of triangle? It was only him and his sweet girl!_

"The cost of this whole thing has yet to be decided," Miguel noted, "and it remains to be seen who will pay the greatest price."

Great, Jack thought, just great.

Something inside him that was uneasy and constantly checked for exit points (and the part that assessed Miguel as the threat, which he ignored) made him almost get up and leave right that moment. _This was a bad idea,_ Jack thought, _this guy is a quack and I can't believe I am listening to Jerry on this. There is nothing wrong with me. Kim is my girlfriend. It is only natural to want to be with her. To want to protect her. From all sorts of threats. Yes, I should leave._

Jack shook his head and forcefully made himself still on the stool. It was natural to want to see Kim, but it was quite different stalking her in her sleep.

* * *

"Come here, boys," Jack and Jerry, who finally came back with matches (Jack suspected that Marisol knew exactly how long to keep his friend occupied 'looking for matches'), followed Miguel to the chiminea and he stoked some fire in it.

With the fire kindled, santero walked over to a long side board and pulled out a knife and a little glass bottle with a dropper in the top, and then turned to face Jack. "I need a sample of blood to test," he walked up to him. "Give me your hand."

Jack held out his right hand, having to actually force himself to put the limb out. _No, this is not necessary. I am fine._

Miguel shook his head. "I need the hand the blood flows through your heart first. Other one."

Jack swapped, giving him his left hand. _No, no, no..._

Miguel wrapped his fingers around his hand to steady it. "Hold still, I don't want to open an artery." He ran the knife over the top of his finger.

The cut was a deep one but Jack showed no pain. He could handle this. He focused not on the pain in his hand, but on where santero put the knife. It was a great big butcher cleaver that Miguel handled easily. He must use it a lot. Jack reassessed the threat level from 'quacky voodoo of unknown strength' to the 'handles knives with ease.' _He probably kills the animals himself and knows basic human anatomy._

God, this hyper-awareness was something else altogether, Jack thought shaking his head a little.

Miguel quickly caught the blood into the vial.

"And this is going to tell us how big a hold the obsession has over me?" Jack quizzed, while Jerry was looking on with interest.

"I think the spirit was cursed. How and what for, I would not know," explained Miguel, still letting the blood flow into the little bottle. "It depends on the person receiving it, the way it binds to them. Different people bind different curses in their own special way. That's one of the reason these kinds of things are so dangerous. You can never quite be sure of the result and how it'll truly affect someone. The more-" he looked up at Jack then, evidently choosing his words carefully, "unique the circumstances are, the more unique the eventual outcome." Miguel wiped Jack's finger on the top of the vial and inclined his head towards the side board. "There is some paper towel."

Jack walked over and tore himself a piece off, pressing it around his still bleeding finger. "Is this going to take long?" He dabbed at his finger. "I need to get back to ..." and trailed off. He was going to see Kim, but in the light of everything, it would have sounded like the obsession talking.

Miguel had put his vial of blood on the board and was reaching into the drawer. He drew out a similar looking vial. "The test won't take long at all." He held up the bottle. "But first we'll do a quick calibration. This is the blood of the cat guy."

"What cat guy?" asked Jerry innocently.

"You don't want to know," said Jack flatly.

"Oh, okay."

Miguel took out the dropper from the cat guy's vial of blood and held it over the dancing flame. Jerry moved closer, wanting to get a good view. Miguel let a single drop of blood fall into the gas flame. Immediately the fire flared up to about the size of basket ball, before quickly dying down.

"Whoa," said Jerry, looking impressed, "looks like cat guy had a bad case of it."

"You could say that," said Miguel. "He's currently in a mental institution, pulling out his own toenails and eating them."

"So, not one of your success stories then?" Jack asked in annoyance. _See, I knew it was a waste of time. Let's go before this quack hacks us up for some ritual parts... No, I need to see this thing through. I can't go on obsessing over Kim's safety all the time and watching her sleep._

"I did my best, but he didn't want to listen to my advice. I gave him something to take for the obsessive behavior but he didn't use it. I can only do so much."

"You were able to make him up a cure?" asked Jack quickly.

"That guy, yes," said Miguel. "We'll have to see what the chance of doing the same with you is."

He put down cat guy's blood and picked up Jack's blood. Jerry moved in even closer, intent on watching carefully. Miguel drew out the dropper and let a single drop of Jack's blood fall into the flame. Immediately the entire room lit up as a huge explosion of a flame burst out. The flame was so big it hit the roof and fanned out, liquid blue ripples decorating the ceiling. Miguel gasped and jumped back, as Jack took a quick step back as well. Jerry seemed frozen by what had happened when, as quickly as it had happened, the flame was gone. The intense heat had burnt itself out before any real damage could be done.

Jack, who was watching everything intently, could have sworn he'd seen an outline of himself and Kim in the short burst of fire. Although, he had shaved head and Kim's hair was in a bun with chopsticks. No, those weren't him and Kim, those were Yoshimi and Mariko. _Damn it all to hell!_ Yoshimi was cursed and he did leave an impression on Jack. Quite literally.

Jerry straightened up and looked to be in shock. "Dude!" he exclaimed unevenly. "You're on fire!" He gingerly touched his forehead. "Do I still have eyebrows?"

"You're fine, Jerry," Miguel reassured him. He too looked a bit stunned as he looked up at the tent ceiling. Dark streaks of fire residue marked the spot. "Well," he said shakily, "guess it was time for a new thatching."

Jerry was still reeling. "Dude," he said in excitement, "did you see that? That was amazing!" He must have suddenly realized what it meant though. "Man, you're so screwed."

Jack's lips tightened. "If you don't mind, I'd rather hear that from the professional here."

Miguel was still looking up at the ceiling. "You are screwed," he confirmed distractedly.

Jack made a frustrated noise. "Well, this was a huge waste of time," he said in annoyance. "I guess I'll see myself out."

Miguel dragged his eyes from the ceiling and looked at him. "Wait a minute, I didn't say I couldn't do anything."

A sliver of hope cut through Jack, even as part of him screamed that there was nothing wrong with him. "You didn't seem so sure a moment ago."

"I just meant this is quite the strong curse on the strong spirit." He screwed the lid back on the vial of blood and placed it on the side board.

Jack took a step closer, giving him a sharp look. "But there is some sort of cure?"

"Let me think," the man said distractedly and lapsed into a silence as he threw some herb into the fire and looked at the resulting smoke. Jack avoided looking at it lest some sort of otherworldly smoke show decided to make appearance.

"It could be worse," said Jerry, obviously trying to help.

"How?" Jack bit out.

Jerry hemmed for a moment and then said brightly, "At least you want to take the cure, if there is one. And Kim is actually your girlfriend, so you won't go insane like that cat dude."

"I am not sure it makes me feel better, but thanks."

"Ok," said Miguel abruptly, "we can try this."

He bustled about and collected some herbs and powders, mixing them in a some unclear proportions and carefully stirring them together. When he was done, there were three largish teabags and he was muttering something like a chant over them. He finally turned to Jack.

"Drink this first, then this, and then finally this," he spoke and passed the bags to Jack. "Drink this when the sun begins to set, but the moon is not up yet. Do not eat or drink anything else that evening. Do not seek your true love either. No matter what you feel, see or dream, you must continue with these herbs. You understand?"

Jack nodded slowly, his hand clasping over the bags.

"What will this tea do?" he asked cautiously, eyeing the bags with suspicion.

"It should reverse the obsession curse," Miguel said quietly. "It is unusual, as you are not the original recipient of it... But, it should work similarly. I hope, because the object of obsession is the same person, it would break and you can go back to being with your girl. But, as I said, it may not be the same as before."

"Why?"

"You see, balance often comes down to simple mathematics," Miguel noted. "Simplest is subtraction."

Jack frowned. "Meaning?"

"Meaning, with the spirit gone, the spell should have been gone. But you and him have the same object of desire and the obsession is not gone..." he trailed off, but Jack was still not sure what santero implied. "If there is no object of your desire, you cannot desire her," explained Miguel. "subtract the girl."

"But she is not..." he was unable to finish his explanation because Mariko was long gone and the only girl was...

He stopped cold as the thought of something happening to Kim caused a horror deep inside of him. Jack knew in that moment he'd walk across broken glass to protect her. His head swam with intense feelings surging in him like a potent chemical reaction: protective _(defend, shield, keep safe)_ and wrathful ( _kill, kill, kill)_. He took a large step to come close to the santero, one hand balled in fist and shaking, and grabbed Miguel by the shirtfront with another, "Don't ever suggest that," he hissed at Miguel, unaware that his eyes changed for a brief second from hazel to black. He stood there, by all appearances a teen, holding up the middle-aged man and staring him down.

"Jack, Jack!" murmurs of his name drifted through the red haze of his concentration. "Hey, buddy, he did not mean it. Jack!"

He let santero go and said tersely, "Not an option!"

"I figured." Santero seemed unperturbed and continued, "Which is why I have made this tea. It's a long shot, but..."

Jack subsided, once again cognizant of the nature and extent of the problem. The haze of the moment ago receded and he felt some marginal remorse for his reaction.

It was getting worse. He needed this cure to work.

He would overcome this, he would.

A/N: Still major misunderstanding of the nature of Jack's ailment. Wanna bet it would go well?


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Ok, so he tries the cure.

* * *

Jack was skeptical of the tea and Miguel, the distance away from the santero making him doubt everything and everyone. This was really stupid. What could this tea do? And honestly? Was there a curse that transferred onto him? How far-fetched... But then his mind reminded him that he was possessed by a cursed spirit, and that was far-fetched too. His mind supplied the memory of the fiery visage of Yoshimi and Mariko (good grief, she looked just like Kim.)

Kim, poor Kim, who had to deal with the insane ghost and then with his basket-case behavior. Luckily she did not know the worst of it, and she took his jealousy and horniness in stride. Would she be so lenient if she knew that he watched her sleep like some crazy sparkly vampire? That's it, if he is behaving like that shmuck, he better try this herbal tea. What's the worst that could happen?

So resolved, Jack texted Kim and cancelled their plans. Everything in him rebelled at the idea that he would not see her. His words (lies) to her about being busy with parents burned on his tongue and he hated himself for giving her another untruth. She did not deserve it, She was so good and kind and better than most... He did not deserve her. She should leave him... But the moment that thought crossed his mind, he nearly bit off his tongue at the sudden anxiety it brought. _NO! He would try this cure, he would get better, so that he deserved her, his sweet girl._

He made the tea after dinner, which he skipped telling his mom that he already ate with Jerry and brought the mug with hot liquid to his room.

Looking at the greenish-brown liquid, which looked very unappetizing, Jack steeled his resolve and lifted the mug to his lips. When it was nearly touching the mouth he noticed the finest tremor of the hand holding the mug. It was like his limb had a mind of its own and was trying to get the ugly brew away from him. _Nothing is wrong with me. I am fine._ Jack scoffed at this, told himself to stop being a coward, a drank the cure. It was so hot, it almost burned his mouth, but Jack soldered on and finished the mug.

And then he sat and waited.

 _It isn't working, because there is nothing wrong with me._

At first he just felt the bitterness of the liquid's taste that coated his tongue and would not go away. He swallowed reflexively against the taste.

It did not help. At all.

In fact, it was like his glands started working in overtime, producing more and more saliva, flooding his mouth with bitter taste. He kept swallowing, but it wasn't accomplishing anything. He tried to clear his throat and made to expel what he felt like remnants of the liquid, but before he could properly do it, his body was wrecked with a sensation of stomach dropping to the floor and he felt lightheaded and faint.

 _Dammit, I knew this was a mistake. I just drank some shitty drink of questionable provenance and it will poison me._

Beads of sweat began forming on his forehead as he closed the eyes and tried to breath through the feeling and clutched the edges of the bed with white-knuckled grip.

Soon the feeling of faintness were replaced by throbbing headache. His heart was pounding hard, fast, uneven, making his head feel like a giant bell. It felt like his heart was pounding inside his skull and he let go of the bed to grab his head, puling at hair as if somehow it would relive the pressure.

 _I am being poisoned. Don't they use curare* a lot in Colombia? It is my own fault to think that some charlatan can help me, when there is nothing wrong with me. Can it get any worse?_

He should not have thought that... His poor heart, that beat so fast and erratic, seized in his chest and the pain that came was so severe, he collapsed on the floor and moaned through gritted teeth.

 _I am dying. NO! I can't! Please! Oh, my sweet girl... Kim-please-need-mine..._

The moment the thought of Kim passed through his mind, the pain stopped and he lay on the floor shaking and whimpering. He got up and stumbled towards his bathroom. Two feet away from the door, the new wave of pain, nausea and convulsions overwhelmed him and he fell onto floor in a graceless heap, landing hard on his hip and something in his pocket was digging into the bone. Pain twisted his limbs and he felt like his insides were being burned and scoured with acid. But worst of all, he felt like his heart was being torn in two and the fear and pain were almost too much...

He reached with trembling hand into the pocket and found the object that dug into the hip, the sensation somehow the anchor in this world of pain.

It was a bracelet. Simple cord with couple of beads. J+K. Jack and Kim. _Kim-please-need-mine..._

He clutched it in a fisted hand and pulled it closer to his chest, preparing for the worst.

The moment the trinket touched the chest, the pain stopped abruptly and sweet relief washed over him reminding him of Kim's cool hand running over his forehead.

 _My sweet girl... Even from far away you help me. Kim-please-need-mine..._

He crawled the rest of the way to the bathroom, grabbing the towel he threw on the floor earlier today. He sat up, propped against the bathtub and rubbed his sweaty face. He held on to the bracelet and brought it to the forehead, leaning against the bent knees. Not two seconds later the new wave of pain washed over him and could not fight the nausea any longer. He threw up, stomach contracting and pushing liquid and bile out of him it uneven spasms, making him wretch over and over again, and finally leaving him pale and wheezing and ready to pass out.

Whatever this santeria magic was, it was potent. He just wasn't sure if it worked.

* * *

Kim was wondering if something was wrong or if Milton's apparently clumsy attempt to get Jack to open up backfired spectacularly. That Saturday Kim was ready to meet Jack and try to talk to him about Halloween and her experiences. She figured she never backed away from a challenge and, though she was worried about Jack's reaction, it would be healthy and appropriate to talk about those events.

However, just as she gathered up her strength and will to broach the subject, Jack cancelled their date, stating some sort of obligations to his parents (he was vague on specifics, and said he did not want to bore her).

That evening, after dinner with parents and lazy browsing of the social media, she tried to call Jack, but he did not answer. He must be really busy, she thought. Recently he was quite attached at the hip with her and if they were not together, he was often times talking to her or texting non-stop. It felt strange to have an entire day go by and not having seen him or talked to him until they fell asleep. She was feeling weird: strange, and uncomfortable. Like her worry for him was giving her some psychosomatic** symptoms.

She shook her head amused that she was missing him so much to feel off just because she has not seen him a whole day. Silly, really.

She went to lie in bed hoping to just fall asleep but the discomfort was growing, settling like a heavy greasy ball in her stomach and making her sit up. What did she eat that made her feel so dyspeptic? There wasn't anything heavy really at the table. They all ate burgers that her dad made and some salad that her mom prepared. Nothing store bought. Or old. Or stale.

Still, she got up to fetch some Pepto-Bismol when a sudden onset of pain in her chest nearly brought her to her knees. She fell back onto her bed gasping for air and clutching at her her left side.

The pain stopped just as suddenly as it started, leaving her a little breathless.

What the hell? Was she having a heart attack? No, she was too young and too athletic...

The pain came back again, interrupting her thoughts, this time settling right under her diaphragm and pushing up. She turned to her side and hang her head off the bed: at least if she puked, she'd do it on the floor instead of the bed. She tried to breath through it and even tried to burp, but ended up in a coughing fit that stopped when the pain stopped.

She climbed out of the bed onto her knees and hands and crawled into the bathroom, feeling like her joints were made of jello. It was a wise choice because by the time she reached the en-suite the pain came back and this time it burned its way up her esophagus and she purged the contents of her stomach into the toilet. She heaved and heaved until there was nothing left and she was lying on the marble floor, cold and shivering.

At least the pain has stopped, she thought to herself.

When she felt strong enough to get up she hobbled to the sink and stopped at the sight of her face.

She was pale, deathly white and pasty, her eyes were red and watery, but the scariest thing was the trickle of blood coming out of her mouth.

What the hell?

* * *

Jack was mercifully spared any more of the pain attacks and after a thorough shower to wash off the cold sweat, he collapsed in bed, too tired to worry about not being able to call Kim ( _Kim-please-need-mine_ ). Soon enough the sleep came over him and fell into the dreamland.

/

He was in the familiar forest, moonless and quiet. Once again he saw a glimmer of something bright in the distance and he followed it like the siren's call. Silvery pool was still there, it surface still and shiny like the mirror into the other side. He found her reflection there: smiling, laughing, happy and beautiful. He grabbed her and pulled her to him, catching a handful of smiling beauty. They kissed and this time he lowered himself on top of her and she sighed into the kiss. It was fantastic: slow sensual, undisturbed and all-consuming.

He pulled back feeling like his entire being was now housed in this precious girl in his arms. He smiled at her, happy and light. She was smiling at him, lips red and freshly kissed. Soon though, he smile turned into a frown and her eyes slid low and away from him.

"What scares you my love?" he asked quietly, wishing he could simply erase that frown with a kiss.

"It's nothing... Just..." she did not finish, but he saw her face grow pale and translucent.

"No! No-no-no-no-no-no..." he knew where it would lead, where it would end. "Please... don't go, don't leave..." he begged, clutching her close, her body light and insubstantial in his arms.

"This is what you want, no?" she whispered and her eyes started to tear up, precious pearls of liquid sliding down her pale cheeks.

"No! I don't want it! Please stay with me, my love..."

"I can't. It is not right. I am not yours anymore. You have no right to call me that..." she grew lighter and paler, edges of her silhouette getting blurry.

"No!" he cried and felt his own tear fall.

She lifted her hand to try and cup his cheek, her touch no more than a whisper of a butterfly wing. Just as it connected with him, the hand fell and clutched her chest, her body curling in pain and she gasped as great spasm wrecked her over and over.

"What is it? What is going on? Please, my love, sweetheart..." he brought her body close to his, as much as he could, and he could feel her pain as if it was his own. She coughed and wheezed and finally stopped shaking.

"I should not be here... This is my punishment..." she whispered, voice barely a whisper. But his eyes were glued to the trickle of blood coming out of her mouth as she spoke.

With final look at him, she closed her eyes and stopped breathing altogether, her previously labored breath was obvious in its absence.

No! It can't be! No!

"NO!" he screamed, his bellow loud in this eerily quiet forest, echoing around and bouncing back at him.

Pain, grief, rage, overwhelming and noxious, consumed him and he screamed again, hands shaking and tears falling at faster rate. She disappeared, a mist and a whisper, and he dragged his violently shaking body to the pool, knowing by now how this would play out. When he looked down he saw her again, dark haired and beautiful, in expensive silks and shiny combs in her hair. She stood next to a man, who was older, his features indistinct and obscured by a glass of greenish brown liquid.

She drank it and he screamed for her to stop...

The glass was empty and she fell...

Pale, unmoving, with glassy unseeing eyes, a trickle of blood...

"Ahhhh! Nnnnnno!" He screamed and screamed, until he fell into the pool...

/

Jack shot up in his bed, tangled and sweaty, a scream still stuck in his throat.

 _Kim. Poison. De... NO... Who did it? They must die... Oh, Kim, my sweet girl...Kim-hurt-need-mine..._

The thought and name all in one lightning moment of clarity. Fear that she was unwell gripped him. He couldn't even think anything beyond that, his mind shutting down that line of thought...

 _How is she? I need to see her! Kim-hurt-Kim-hurt..._

Just as he was about to get up, santero's words came to him. 'Do not seek your true love.'

 _Nnnnnoooo! I need to see her._

Cursing, he collapsed back in bed, weary of falling asleep again.

He had no doubt now that Yoshimi had left him with something. A curse, an obsession, an infatuation... He suspected that he saw something that was part of Yoshimi's memories or nightmares. Mariko must have died, leaving Yoshimi inconsolable and mad with grief. That sort of madness was a curse all by itself.

All the more reasons that he should finish this cure. He already felt the fear and paranoia. And today he got the taste of that grief and rage. And a thirst for revenge...

He didn't think he could handle it much longer. He might go mad himself.

 _I must see her... NO! I must get better so I can be with her... She needs me! Who, but me, can protect her?. I need to check on her... NO! The cure... I must overcome this..._

He sat in his bed, afraid, but determined, and fighting desperately not to give in to the urge to check on her, the refrain of _Kim-hurt-Kim-hurt_ playing in endless loop in his tired mind.

*Curare is a poison, traditionally used by indigenous people, that causes weakness of the skeletal muscles and, when administered in a sufficient dose, eventual death by asphyxiation due to paralysis of the diaphragm.

**Psychosomatic means symptom of a physical illness or other condition caused or aggravated by a mental factor such as internal conflict or stress.

A/N: So... thoughts? I am actually worried that this was too much of a twist in the plot.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Many thanks to my readers and reviewers. I treasure all the input.

To EvanRobert and another guest reviewer, who asked me to re-write the previous chapter: your comments indicate how deeply you care about this story and its characters. While the twist may have been a great surprise, I assure you that I had it planned form the beginning (there is a plan to all this madness, promise). Please remember, that Jack went to santero not fully realizing the problem. The diagnosis by the santero was a bit off too, therefore the cure was imperfect.

This chapter would give some more insight about the situation.

* * *

He could not sleep anymore, so he lay in bed waiting for dawn, dreading the whole day of not seeing Kim and not even being able to talk to her. He would talk to Jerry and see if his reaction to the cure was abnormal. Maybe it was the curse that was leaving him with pain and vomit? Like purification, catharsis and detox all rolled into one?

He held onto the bracelet, irrationally afraid that a new wave of pain would come and then this little trinket would be his anchor and salvation. Kim-mine-forever...

When the clock finally struck 7, he called his friend, uncaring that it might be too early on a weekend.

"Jerry, how well do you know this santero's work? Were there any unsatisfied customers? Aside from the cat guy that is." He asked without preamble.

"Uhgh, Jack? Why you calling... at 7 in the morning? Dude, that's just rude. It's weekend, man..."

"Jerry, wake up. I nearly died last night." Jack snapped.

"What? Are you a ghost now? Like Yoshimi? Don't come near me. Il nome di padre e filo e spirito santo..." Jerry broke into what sounded like Latin and Jack growled in frustration.

"Jerry! Wake up!" he shouted.

"Ow, ow, ow... My ears... Ok, fine, I am awake. But to be clear: you are not a ghost, right?"

"Jerry. Focus. I said 'nearly died.' I am alive. But it was touch and go last night." Jack finally got the heart of the matter. "Is this how it supposed to work?"

"I don't know. Why are you asking me?" Jerry was frustratingly obtuse.

"Dude, you are my only source of info on things santeria. How was it for you, you know? When you drank that nasty tea?" Jack said with a studied patience.

"Oh, that... Well, I just went to sleep and that's it."

"So you had no pain or nightmares?" Jack wanted to make sure.

"It would be a shitty cure for nightmares if it gave you some, no?" Jerry said with a laugh, but Jack was not amused.

"Fuck! I knew it!" he swore and wished he never tried anything.

"Wait... Did you say it tried to kill you?" Jerry was finally coming around to see what Jack was so pissed about.

"Yes. It was like poison and a heart attack, all in one. I thought I was dying," Jack said quietly, remembering the experience.

"But, you made it... Maybe it suppose to work like this?"

"I am not sure, Jerry. It hurt like hell... And then I had the most realistic and scary nightmare," Jack finished in a strained voice.

"Let me guess, it was about Kim," his friend was surprisingly prescient.

"Yes. She... she was sick... Poisoned... I thought she di..." he stopped and bit his tongue. _No, not her, she must be fine. Let me check on her. I don't even need to speak, just see... Kim-hurt-Kim-hurt..._

Jerry was silent, somehow understanding the strain behind Jack's voice and the unspoken fear. "Crap, and you can't even check on her," he vocalized what was the central problem of Jack's situation right now. "If you want, I can check on her?"

"Yes, please," Jack hurried in reply, not even caring that he sounded pathetic.

"Sure thing, man. Give me a minute," Jerry disconnected and Jack sat, clutching the phone and the bracelet, counting seconds.

* * *

Kim's stumbling and vomiting woke up her parents and, horrified to see their daughter sick and spewing blood, they dragged her to the hospital. She tried to wave off the concerns, thinking it was just bad food poisoning, but her mom was unconvinced.

The whole experience left Kim frustrated and a little scared.

She had no food poisoning. No toxins or viruses. Which made the doctor ask her pointed questions about her life and stress level, clearly thinking that Kim was bulimic or prone to anxiety. Surreptitiously, when her parents were distracted with paperwork, she was even asked if maybe they needed to check for pregnancy. Kim was so shocked, she actually was speechless. And she gladly submitted to a blood test to prove that it was not the case.

Having excluded all the usual suspects, doctor gave them some vague platitudes about teens and their hormonal bodies that did not know which way was up and let them go home.

Half the night was gone and, exhausted and weak, she fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.

Only to fall into the nightmare that has been plaguing her for at least a week now.

/

She was in the forest, running from something that was hot on her heels and, like it often happened in dreams, her feet felts clumsy and heavy. She stumbled and fell into the cold stream, a choked scream dying on her lips.

Her dream shifted abruptly and she was pulled somewhere and soon she found herself in Jack's arms. He was smiling and happy, eyes locked on hers in that intimate and intent way. They kissed and kissed, unhurried and enjoying the moment. He pulled back and she saw his face look at something behind her, as if hearing or seeing something she could not. He was still looking intently and she suddenly was afraid.

"What scares you, my love?" he said and she was touched by the sweet endearment.

She tried to answer, but found herself to be weak and trembling.

Before she could answer, she was pulled back into the pool, falling and screaming again, until she stopped. Suddenly, in the abrupt ways of dream shifting, she was in a room that looked like it was in Japan with beautiful partitions and priceless vases. Someone, whose face she could not see, but who she felt she trusted, gave her a drink and she drank the bitter liquid, unwilling to upset anyone. By the time the last drop of the bitter tea passed her lips, she was sick. Really sick. Like the deja vu of the first half of the night, she felt tremendous pain that ultimately reached her heart and then she fell breathless on the floor.

/

Kim woke up gasping, clutching at her left side. Beads of sweat slowly rolled down her face and her hands shook. She was spooked: by all appearances she died in her dream. Someone poisoned her... God, was she over thinking what Milton told her? Was this how her mind processed Milton's suggestions about repeat possession?

Did _she_ suffer from post traumatic stress and anxiety?

Or was it something sinister? Something she was sure it was tied to Yoshimi and Mariko.

She needed to talk to Milton.

She was almost out of the bed, when her phone rang. It was Jerry. Surprised, she answered, wondering if Jack was with him. She hadn't even bothered calling him. For one, he was probably still with his parents. They were still exacting punishment on him for fighting with Brett. Second, it was early and she did not want to wake him up if he was resting. Third, and most importantly, she was not sure she wanted to saddle him with the news about her illness. It was really not that serious: she was fine now and all she would achieve by telling him would be getting Jack riled up. He was remarkably protective of her recently (part of the pattern that was like him, yet much more amplified lately.) With his attitude being what it was, Kim wondered what he would do if she told him she got a food poisoning. Would he start buying their groceries? Taste the food before she ate it? Camp out in her room to make sure to be close if she was sick once more? At this point, any one of this options was plausible.

"Hi, Jerry. What's up?"

"Ahh, hi, Kim. Nothing's really. Just wanted to ch...chat with you..." she was sure Jerry was making it up and she was immediately suspicious.

"OoooK... Let's chat."

"So... How are you? Feeling fine?" Ok, this was pretty weird, Kim thought. Since when her and Jerry had random conversaitons about feelings?

"Sure. I am fine. And you?"

"Me too. Woke up nice an early. Real early..." Jerry trailed off, muttering last part unhappily.

"Why early? Nightmares?" Kim asked absently, still trying to figure out why Jerry was calling her on Sunday morning.

"No! No nightmares for me." Jerry said quickly.

"Oh, that's right. You got some cure from a spiritual healer," Kim mentioned.

"You heard about that? Wow, Jack tells you everything, huh?"

"Actually, Milton told me that. I have not heard from Jack. He said he was busy with his parents," she offered and asked him, "Did you see him last night?"

"Ahhh... That is... Briefly..." Jerry said as if unsure. Or lying. Definitely lying.

"What are you not telling me?" Kim asked forcefully.

"Nothing!"

"Jerry..." she repeated with more force.

"Oh, fine. I did see him and he was pretty miffed that he couldn't see you. But he parents are making him do stuff today as well, so he can't see you now, but asked me to check on you." Jerry answered quickly and Kim just melted at how thoughtful Jack was. Here he was, busy, and yet still checking on her.

"I am fine, Jerry. You can tell him that I am fine and that I hope he gets off the hook with his parents soon," Kim said much softer and wistfully. She didn't tell about her own sickness; there was no need to trouble Jack with it. She was fine now and he didn't have to worry about her.

* * *

Jerry came over to check on him, feeling responsible for Jack's state because it was his santero. Jack wasn't really blaming his friend. And didn't mind the pain and sickness of the cure. If it made him better, he was willing to take a little of harsh medicine.

He just wasn't sure it was working.

It fact, he was pretty much unable to think of anything to anyone other than Kim at this moment. It was as if because he was not allowed to see or talk to her, his entire being rebelled and longed for just a glimpse of her. The incessant loop of _Kim-need-mine_ went on in his mind, making him fidgety.

Jack saw his friend out to the street. After a _goodbye_ Jerry was heading off down the street, making his way back to his house. Jack walked more slowly to his house, not as convinced about this 'cure' as Jerry seemed to be. The more time passed, the more he was sure that the cure was a dud. His stride quickened as he became more determined. No, the only thing for this was to grit his teeth, take the cure, and find his own way through this. Jack stopped by his door, a surge of rebelliousness coming over him. He pulled out Kim's bracelet and threw it into the nearby bushes in an act of defiance and then entered the house, slamming the door shut behind him. That fucked-up ghost and his hung-ups weren't going to get the best of him. He was Jack Brewer, his own man. One bitter ghost wasn't going to take that from him.

Jack was in the kitchen, having grabbed a can of soda, and sat down by the island. And then his legs stared to bounce, jittery with some restless energy. He gripped the can so tightly the blood left his knuckles and the aluminum started to cave in. He hastily put it down and gripped the counter. All he had to do was finish the soda and go upstairs. There was homework to be done. It'd be the first step in sheer force of will overcoming this. Sweat beaded on his forehead and veins popped on his neck as the battle raged within. Jack stared ahead, fighting with every ounce of strength he had inside of him to make that next move. His hands shook with the force of his emotions. The seconds ticked by and still he was unable to do that one simple thing.

Finally Jack made a guttural sound, knowing the battle was lost. He hit out at the counter in his rage filled frustration and then was scrambling out of the chair. Jack ran outside and began a frantic search for Kim's bracelet, needing desperately to be in possession of it again. He was the junkie searching for his stash. Jack dug around in the bushes on his hands and knees, not caring that it would look strange to neighbors. All that mattered was finding that bracelet. It was as necessary as his next breath in that moment. His hands dug through the dirt and mulch, pushing past the foliage of the thick bushes. The shaking was getting worse, he was a man cut off from the thing which now anchored him to the earth and the panic was setting in.

The touch of something small and hard against his hand had him emitting a choked sound of relief. Jack picked it out of the ground and pulled back his hand, desperate eyes needing to confirm he'd found the treasured item. Kim's simple bracelet shone up at him from his palm through the bits of dirt clinging to it. He hastily wiped the bracelet against his sweatpants, cleaning it off. Safely in his possession again, Jack closed his fingers around his precious link to Kim as he rose shakily to his feet. He walked swiftly to the house, brushing the dirt from his knees as he did. Getting inside, he let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding in a loud hiss. Jack caught a glimpse of his reflection in the entrance hall mirror and barely recognized the wild-eyed guy staring back at him. His heart raced, blood pulsing through his veins, as the awful realization that he was already in way too deep, hit home. The obsession had a hold of him, it had sunk into his bones and ignoring it was no longer an option. He uncurled his hand and looked down at Kim's bracelet in the palm of his hand. He'd held onto it so tightly, one bead had cut into his flesh and now one bead was smudged with his own blood.

Jack stared at his bloodied palm, and sighed deeply. He could only hope that the cure worked as promised after the full course.

* * *

Kim called Milton not worried that she would be waking him up. Milton was probably up reading everything he could on the unusual possession by ghosts and spirits. Or about recent images of Saturn. Sometimes she did wonder about his brain's capacity for multitask and retain information on so many subjects.

"Hello, Kim. How are you this morning?" Milton was polite and cheery.

"Hi, Milton. I think we need to go see that priest at the temple." She cut to the chase and could feel Milton perk up in attention.

"You ruled out PTSD?" he was all business and she could hear the clicking noise of typing.

"No. I mean, I haven't talked to Jack. He is busy with his folks right now..." she began.

"Then why...?"

"Because I had the worst nightmare and I think it was about Mariko dying," she quickly supplied and Milton fell silent.

"You had... a nightmare or maybe a flashback memory of Mariko dying?" he sounded unconvinced.

"I don't rightly know, Milton. It was me in the nightmare at first. It is the same that I kept seeing this past week. But then it changed abruptly into this scene from, like, a Japanese house - you know with painted screens and porcelain vases and jute mats - and I was there. Only I was dressed in a kimono and had dark hair..."

"Like when you pretended to be Mariko," Milton said softly.

"Yes. And I drank something, some tea, and then I felt this awful pain and I fell not breathing. That's when I woke up and let me tell you, seeing yourself die is... scary," she finished in near whisper. "It may be that it was a suggestion brought on by the story and possession, but..."

"But you want to check my theory," Milton understood. "So, let's meet this priest."

They agreed to meet up at the temple and Kim had to eat plain rice and soda water before her mom let her go. Kim rolled her eyes, but understood that last night spooked her parents.

The priest turned out to be an old man with kind eyes and serious face. He listened to them carefully, as they stumbled through their story, interrupting each other to add a detail here and there.

Finally they were done and sat in silence, waiting for the old man to speak.

"The story of the Yoshimi, as it is told by others, is not a complete one. His life and death were violent and filled with sorrow," the priest said at last and Kim felt a prickling of apprehension.

"He died violently?" Kim asked first.

"He died of a broken heart. That part is true. But not before Mariko, his true love, died from being poisoned," Kim just dropped in her seat, all the air and strength gone from her. So, she was seeing Mariko die in her nightmare.

"How? Who? Was it Yo..." Milton continued and the priest interrupted him immediately.

"No, no... He did not do it. He loved her," he was silent a little and sighed. "Mariko was married off to a respectable, but thoroughly uninteresting man. Her family was compensated, but she was unhappy. And Yoshimi knew that. He grew very protective of her and sought to see her, even as she was a married woman. That did not go well with her family and her husband. When she and Yoshimi planned her escape, it was uncovered by her father. She was... poisoned by him. For bringing shame to the family."

"And Yoshimi died of a broken heart," Milton finished. "But then why the kiss from his true love did not resolve the situation?"

"Because he was cursed to never find peace. By Mariko's family... for killing her father," priest words were grave and Kim startled at this: what a sad and violent story, what brutal times. Yoshimi, mad with grief, killed a man...

"Can't the curse be lifted? To let him rest properly?" Milton at least could focus on the practical details, while Kim was lost in the tale and its implications for her and Jack.

"Oh, we tried that already," priest assured them.

"Then why...?"

"We did what we could: we gave him the proper rites and completed the burial ceremony. I believe that it did not work, because we need his family or Mariko's family to participate. But, we don't know who their offsprings are." The priest quieted again and after a long moment continued, "Yoshimi's reikon, his soul, is seized by a powerful emotion, so he is a yūrei now, a vengeful ghost. And until its business is completed here, it would persist in its haunting. And now it found its way into the living world."*

"What business could it still have?" Kim asked unhappy. "I thought a kiss from Mariko would be enough..."

The priest stood up and walked to the door, "Kim, walk with me. I need a breath of fresh air."

She hurried after him and left Milton behind.

"I believe that Yoshimi and Mariko were each other's soulmates. As their union was not completed in the living worlds, their spirits cannot properly join the ancestors." The priest spoke quietly and looked at Kim with full attention. Suddenly his eyes were not only kind. They were piercing and intent and Kim felt the weight of them on her as if it were thousands of people staring at her.

"S...soulmates?" she stuttered and was followed by a horrified thought, "does this mean Mariko is possessing me?"

"I don't think so. But you may have tied herself to Yoshimi when you willingly kissed him," the priest continued. "Yoshimi now sees you as Mariko. And if he is possessing your boyfriend, your young man may not even realize that it is the spirit seeking his soulmate that is influencing him."

"How do we get yūrei to leave?" She managed to be on point even if she was still reeling from the whole soulmate bit.

"The easiest way to exorcise a yūrei is to help it fulfill its purpose. In this case, Yoshimi needs to consummate his passion and love with his intended soulmate," the priest told her, his eyes still on her face, and she was sure that she misheard the old man.

"C... consum...mate?" she choked out and blushed so hard, she could feel the heat in her face and neck.

"Yes."

"And Yoshimi thinks I am his Mariko," she offered helplessly, looking at the gravel on the path, and refused to look at the man, still processing the news.

She had to sleep with Jack to get the spirit of Yoshimi out of him.

She fell faint again and quickly turned to leave. If she was going to be sick, she'd rather not do in front of a priest.

She ran out of the temple, Milton chasing her, all the while thinking that she really should have stayed with the original plan for the Halloween party.

* _Yūrei_ are figures of the Japanese folklore, similar to ghost. In Japanese folklore, all humans have a spirit called a _reikon._ When a person dies, the _reikon_ leaves the body and enters a form of purgatory, where it waits for the proper funeral and post-funeral rites to be performed, so that it may join its ancestors. If this is done correctly, the _reikon_ is believed to be a protector of the family. However, if the person dies in a sudden or violent manner such as murder or suicide, if the proper rites have not been performed, or if they are influenced by powerful emotions such as a desire for revenge, love, jealousy, hatred or sorrow, the _reikon_ is thought to transform into a _yūrei_ , which can then bridge the gap back to the physical world. The _yūrei_ then exists on Earth until it can be laid to rest, either by performing the missing rituals, or resolving the emotional conflict that still ties it to the physical plane. If the rituals are not completed or the conflict left unresolved, the _yūrei_ will persist in its haunting.

A/N: I feel like I have been too subtle earlier, but I want you to note that at this point nobody realizes that Kim is sick because Jack is sick, i.e., that the imperfect cure from santero is hurting both of them. On a plus side, Kim at least has the information about possession and a possible solution. She might be too overwhelmed right now, but at least we are getting close to the real understanding of the problem.


	15. Chapter 15

The second evening of the cure went similar to the first. Jack fought against his own body to drink the liquid, bringing the pain and suffering unlike anything he felt before. He was nearly blind with pain and he honestly thought he was having a heart attack. His heart was in pain, beating unevenly and sluggishly. He was sweating, limbs tangled and twisting, and he bit his own tongue to hold the screams in. He tasted copper in his mouth and the sensation made his body spasm so much, he felt like paralysis seized his body, locking his muscles and making his inside compact, at the same time as his heart thudded in a painful and slow rhythm.

When that particular wave of pain subsided, Jack finally managed to drag his shaking and uncooperating hand to the chest to bring Kim's bracelet as close to his heart as he could. He mentally prepared to die the next time pain came and wished, numbly, that Kim did not suffer too long from having lost him.

It was as if the thought of being separated from Kim forever kick start something, because his body convulsed, making his heart beat harder and faster, the sound of blood rushing in his ears so loud. The next convulsion made him throw up everything again and the blissful absence of pain made him cry in relief.

He was so exhausted by the pain and purging that he simply lay in his en-suite thinking that his heart would simply give up and stop working if he tried to finish the cure.

It clearly did not work, if Kim's bracelet was the only thing that kept him alive so far. _I knew it, you idiot. Santero is a charlatan and his cure is nothing but a poison. Do you want to die?_

His unplanned resting session in the bathroom ended, when a trill of his phone caught his attention. He slowly roused himself and stumbled with weak knees to the room. By the time he got to the phone, it already stopped ringing. It was a missed call from Milton. Jack checked the time: past mid-night. Strange that Milton would call him so late.

He dialed his friend, who answered immediately, "Jack! Oh thank god! You must come to the hospital! Now!" Milton was agitated and shouting, but he also got excited about French horn recitals.

"Why?" Jack croaked out of his raw throat, even as some sort of unease began to grow in him. Wisely he moved to bathroom in case he needed to vomit again.

"Just come here!" Milton sounded impatient. When Jack did not answer immediately, he heard a loud sigh, "Jack, this is not a phone conversation, but seeing as you are no convinced... Just keep calm and don't panic."

Jack sprang up from his crouched position by the sink, the toothbrush falling from its place knocked by his hand as it flew up to claw over his heart. The tool clattered across the floor as he gasped into the fresh ache in his chest. He stood there a moment - head bowed, teeth gritted - as he tried to gather himself.

He distantly thought his heart finally decided to give up, unable to handle much more of this agony.

Because the moment his friend said those words, Jack just knew and his realization came out in a gasp, "Kim..."

"Jack," his name in that strained voice was like a dirge. "You have to calm down and listen up carefully now."

Jack held the breath as his eyes closed in dread.

"I am not clear on details, but Kim..." Milton pronounced quietly, obviously understanding that each word was like a bullet. "But Kim's in the hospital."

Every muscle in Jack's body stuttered to a dead halt. Including his heart.

"She's okay Jack, that's the first thing you got to hear. Just a bit of food poisoning. I always am weary of eating at Phil's, even if it's his mother cooking..." His friend went on before catching himself. "Her parents were worried and took her to the hospital," Milton soothed like velvet laid over a bed of razors. "They called me to see if I got the same thing she did, but I am not a pretend son to Phil, so I called Jerry, who is on the way..."

Milton paused for a moment and suddenly Jack heard his own breath dragging against the mic in grating rasps.

"Jack?"

He was way beyond words - he forced a guttural sound over lips; it sounded like steel grating stone. There was something more. Jack could hear it in the hesitant quiver of his friend's tone, in the uncharacteristic rhythm of his words.

"Apparently she was similarly sick yesterday and I thought that maybe..."

Jack's molars ground together in a rasp over the sound of the cell phone's seams popping quietly in his grip.

"I double checked, just to make sure I am not mishearing anything," Milton's voice grew thin like a whine, or maybe it was just way it filtered through the ringing in his ears. "But whatever made her sick, made her throw up blood and nearly stopped her heart, and you are..."

Jack's eyes popped open as the phone cracked in his fist.

Fear, ice cold and visceral, and rage, blood red and blistering, consumed him in that one minute that Milton spoke. The scorching heat of this emotional backdraft pulled pieces of information and details into one clear picture.

 ** _The cure was killing his girl. She was being poisoned._**

 ** _...Subtract the girl..._**

 ** _NO! NOT AN OPTION! NEVER!_**

 ** _Kim-protect-mine-always...yes, she is mine... always..._**

As the shattered screen of the phone in his hand came to view, his friend's voice sounding strangely shrill and distinct, Jack slowly turned around through a world that was crystalline. Each form was sharp and delineated like it was seen through a hyper-focused lens with the contrast and saturation of the brightest of days.

Slowly, but surely, the sensation of purpose, goal and destination filled him like never before. All other thoughts and feelings (rage, hot and overwhelming, revenge, cold and calculating) were pushed down: he needed to see her.

While Milton's agitated cries ( _Jack, are you there_ ) rose, Jack cocked his head as his hand put the phone down on the counter. He went about dressing himself, each of his muscles moved in brusque and efficient concert, not a tremor to betray the inferno burning him alive.

Finally dressed, he grabbed the phone and barked, "meet me there."

He escaped his house through the window, this time his body honed in the direction that his heart was pulling him.

It was all his fault.

No, not his. It was santero _(eliminate)._ And Jerry with his voodoo advice _(don't trust_ ). And Milton for even planting this idea in his head ( _keep away from Kim_ ).

He was fine. He was right: only he could keep his girl safe. That's why he had those nightmares: they told him to come and watch her. See what happened the nights he hadn't? Yes, only he could keep her safe. Fuck the cure, fuck santeria, fuck Miguel.

Fear for Kim, rage at the cure and the santero, and paranoia swept in other emotions that plagued him for days - the unstable and tenuous control over impulses, desire to be with her at all times, and deep jealousy - all coalesced into one conclusion, that finally gave him purpose and focus.

 _She was his to protect and to love._

* * *

Kim made it home after that enlightening meeting with the temple priest without throwing up or fainting. Milton followed her out, but was no match to her sprint. She made it home and collapsed on the bed, her thoughts a jumble of words, scenes from her nightmares, and the memory of the bitter taste if the tea...

But of course, she kept coming back to the same conclusion: it was impossible, improbable, inconceivable and absurd. Ok, she was running out of adjectives, but the sentiment remained: she was not a soulmate to the long deceased man. She was not! No, no, no... And she was not consummating anything with him! That's... That's... Ludicrous, preposterous, insane, idiotic... Never gonna happen. Never!

Jerry called her and reminded her that they had yet another quality family time with Phil, Mima and Joan. Right, how could she forget? Another evening with Mima. That old crow was just so...so insupportable! Kim sighed loudly and got ready for what's ahead. She told her parents about her plans (are you sure, Kim? You just recovered.) She made up a story about poor Phil and his lonely mom and how Wasabi Gang was helping them. She told them she'd be taking it easy and promised not to eat anything and only drink bottled drinks.

She needn't have bothered. Mima was on a rampage to change her into a proper Hakhmakhi girl and Kim had to throw a spectacular hissy fit, complete with stomping foot and angry walk-off to get the old woman off her case. For some reason today of all days, an elder telling her what to do with her life really pissed her off. Joan actually took her side and told Mima that in America, Kim's blonde looks were quite fetching and no one wanted bushy brows. It set off a whole lecture about all the differences between the countries and Mima actually subsided.

By the time she got home, Kim was exhausted from the event of the day and feeling weak from eating so little. A toast and soda for dinner and she was off to bed to try and sleep. of course, her brain wouldn't let her simply relax and she was thinking about the priest, Jack and Yoshimi. Her thought went in circle and she fell asleep still pondering all the days events.

/

She was floating in darkness, feeling weightless and free. She couldn't tell which way was up or down and she simply moved in this strange space without care or fear. Then she felt the sensation of tugging, something pulling her in one particular direction. She didn't mind. Soon the pulling was associated with warmth and she became curious as to where she was going. She realized that the tugging came from a red string attached to her pinkie. That warmth soon started taking shape: like a window lit from within. She floated close and tried to look in.

It was Jack's room, surprisingly clean and void of posters. He was on the bed, lying and seemingly lost in thought. He was quite handsome, she had a fleeting thought. Suddenly he got up and grabbed a glass from his side table. The feelings of clam and curiosity were replaced with growing worry and she tried knocking on the window, but her hand was insubstantial, like mist or fog.

He drank it and was sitting on the bed, clearly waiting for something. She was watching him. It was the only thing she could do at the moment.

Suddenly his face distorted into a mask of pain and his body fell onto bed, clutching his chest and she saw then that his pinkie had a red string attached too. She grabbed her end of it and pulled, seeing the corresponding tug on Jack's finger.

But as soon as she realized it, the string twisted and pulled tight, stretching taut with incredible tension. The more Jack twisted and moaned in pain, the tighter the string pulled, and she saw it fraying little by little.

"No," she said. "No, no, no..." She kept saying, but Jack was still struggling, until his body gave a final convulsion and stilled.

"NO!"

/

Kim woke up screaming and scared. She panted and checked the time, grabbing her phone with clammy and shaking hands. Just before midnight. God, she didn't think she could fall asleep again.

Her stomach was still clenching uncomfortably and she was reminded of last night. She walked to the bathroom in search of water. Filling the glass, she found her own reflection and just sighed. She was pale, her eyes had circles under them, her hair limp. She hoped she wasn't sick like yesterday.

God, she wished she could just check on Jack. The nightmare left her unsettled...

The moment she thought of him, her heart clenched and refused to re-inflate. She struggled to breath and when she finally was able to, a wave of pain drove her to collapse on the bathroom floor, whimpering and trembling. The pain was relentless and made her grit her teeth and clutch at the chest and stomach, foolishly thinking it would ease the pain.

When the pain finally let up, she, having gone through this yesterday, crawled to the toilet. Two more waves of pain and she finally threw up, bile burning it's way up her throat. She wasn't even surprised when it came out tinged red.

She couldn't care about it anymore, the pain was too strong and it must have taken something out of her, because she was too weak to keep herself up. She tried to call for her parents, but her voice refused to work and even breathing was difficult.

 _I think I am dying_ , she thought, and welcomed the darkness that enveloped her.

* * *

He made it to the hospital in record time. He didn't quite remember the drive, his only thought being to get there fast. The night was helping him to avoid any traffic accidents. When he finally burst though the front doors, his eyes scanned the reception area quickly, finding Milton in the waiting chair. He was here before Jack. _He was here._ Irritation and anger swept through him and he reminded himself that Milton had some information on the situation.

The other boy stood up and was about to speak, but stopped, giving him an apprehensive look.

"How is she?" He hardly recognized his own voice.

"No change. They pumped her stomach and checking for toxins. She is asleep now and her vitals are within norm, but her pulse is low and blood pressure is low as well," Milton spoke quickly and made as if to pat his shoulder, but at the pointed look form Jack, stopped.

"You said it is the second time it happened?" He already knew the answer, but wanted to confirm.

"Yes. She was sick like this yesterday, but not as bad," Milton said. He mulled over something and then, "Were you you sick, Jack? Did you have similar symptoms?"

His head whipped at the redhead, suspicious at how easily the boy connected dots. Did Jerry talk to the redhead? _He can't trust anyone._

"Why do you ask?"

"Just in case you both have some sort of new super virus that causes cardio issues. You should get checked out as well."

He was fed up. He was fine. _He. Was. Fine._ If it wasn't for those kids insisting that he was off, he wouldn't have gone to the charlatan and wouldn't have taken that poison. And now his girl was...

"I. Am. Fine. Get. It. Through. Your. Stupid. Head. There is nothing wrong with me!" He bit out, words making the other boy flinch as if he was being hit.

"Of course, I apologize. I just want to help Kim." Milton spoke evenly and looking him in the face, as if searching for something.

He stepped closer to the redhead, "you are awfully concerned with her."

"Like I said before, she is a friend. Just as you are my friend," Milton continued talking and moving away from him.

"Is that so? Project buddies, sit together in classes, home visits. Even her parents call you first," he was suddenly sure that it was this ginger that made him doubt his own sanity.

"What are you suggesting, Jack?" Milton kept stepping back and Jack stalking him, until they reached the wall. "I have classes with you too. And Kim sits next to me, because it is awkward after Julie and I broke up. As for the project, there is nothing..." Jack pushed the boy further into the wall and held him pinned with a hand on Milton's chest.

"How convenient for you..." he said mockingly and the other boy opened his mouth to respond, but the explanation was cut short, when loud steps behind them announced arrival of another person.

He sprang back, tense and ready, to find Jerry coming to abrupt halt.

"Dude... Why are you here? You shouldn't be here! Miguel said..."

His words were interrupted when Jack threw a punch at Jerry, making the latter stumble and fall on the floor. Jack pulled Jerry up, bending a little and bringing his face close to another boy's.

"Miguel and his voodoo tricks can go to hell! I need to see her!" He roared at the brunet.

"But... The cure..." Jerry stuttered and Jack shook him hard.

"Fuck him and his cure!" He shouted again. "And fuck you..." His entire body vibrated with rage, unlike anything he's ever felt before. This anger had only one aim at the moment: santero and his black magic.

"Jack! Let go!" Someone was trying to pull him by the shoulders and he dropped Jerry, after giving him another hard shove. He turned around quickly grabbing Milton's hand off his shoulder.

This boy was no threat at all.

His grip on redhead's hand was tight and he was squeezing it harder yet.

"Jack, please, calm down," the boy begged. "Kim needs you."

Her name somehow both calmed him down and made him even more hyper aware.

He breathed deeply, bringing back some measure of control, and let go of Milton's hand. The other boy stepped back, rubbing his wrist and helping Jerry off the floor.

He refused to look at anyone, calculating how long it would take to get to that part of town, where the santero was seeing visitors. That charlatan and his cure that nearly kil... He must pay...

His thought were interrupted when Kim's father appeared in the waiting room.

They all stood at attention and Chuck Crawford acknowledged them with a silent nod. He saw Jack there and came closer.

"Jack. I thought you were out with your folks or something."

"I am here now. Just a bit of flue." The lie came smoothly to him, despite the finest of tremors that made his stomach quiver and heart pound. "How is she?"

"I wonder where you kids catch those things," her father said. He looked at Jack carefully, "she is awake and is very agitated. She says she's worried about you and keeps trying to get up and go check on you. I am not sure she is fully coherent. She thinks you are poisoned."

He heard twin gasps from the two teens behind him ( _if they did not persist that he was 'off'_ ) and he was sure that Chuck wanted to inquire further.

"Can I see her?' he said desperate to see her awake.

It was obvious that the man didn't quite like it, but Jack's heart swelled at the knowledge that she wanted to see him.

"Can I see her?" He repeated and at Chuck's unsure look, Jack swallowed his own irritation and said in a quiet voice, "please..."

At last Chuck nodded and Jack gathered his fraying control to follow the man.

At least he was spared dealing with the other two, he no longer trusted anyone. No one.

A/N: So, Jack and Yoshimi sort of joined forces in Jack's head.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Many thanks for reviews. Jack's over-reaction continues. Kim is cautious and trying to be clever about it.

* * *

Jack followed the older man down the hall way, trying (with grinding teeth) to hold his steps to match Chuck's. He wanted to run, as fast as he could, to Kim's room and hold her in his arms. He was sure that whatever residual pain he still felt in him would lift and disappear.

Chuck slowed down and looked at Jack, clearly weighing whether to talk to him. He stopped too, waiting for Kim's father to speak. _Move, you old fool! Kim-hurt-Kim-hurt..._ He breathed through irritation with her father. No matter how much he wanted to go to Kim, some part of him, raised to respect elders, made him stay still.

"Jack..." Chuck started and then stopped. "Christ, I am not sure how to say it. You should know that I don't trust you. Like I would not trust any guy with her."

He bristled, offended at this. He had nothing but Kim's best interest at heart. He would never... Jack only could nod at this, sort of understanding this part. Why, though, Chuck decided to have this talk with him now? In the hospital?

"Ughm, the doctor... She thinks that Kim may have some anxiety and maybe a panic attack..." It was obvious that Chuck did not think this was the case. "They haven't found anything in her system. Nothing, Jack, nothing! No virus, no toxins. She isn't bulimic. Or pregnant..." Jack actually choked on that piece of news, but miraculously managed to keep quiet. "I don't know. If she is anxious or something, I wouldn't know. She probably would not tell her parents. But she might tell you." Chuck was looking at him with something like a plea in his eyes and Jack balked at this.

He never stopped to think what her parents may feel... They loved her. Maybe not everyone was untrustworthy.

"I... understand. If she is upset, if she tells me..." he nodded without finishing the sentence and it only further solidified his resolve to stop this santeria cure. Kim was dear to so many people.

"Thank you," and the soft words they started walking again.

He felt her before he saw her. He wasn't sure how. It was a disturbing nudge at the base of his skull that crawled down his spine and curled low in his stomach. He imagined it was like knowing there was a part of your body missing and that it was close by, but not exactly where. His eyes flickered down the hall and he just knew it would be the room on the right.

 _ **I need to see Jack...**_

Her fearful words ripped through Jack's tenuous restraint like it was tissue paper and instantly he was charging. Sprinting. _Kim-hurt-Kim-hurt..._

"Wait, Jack..." Chuck spoke, hot on his heels.

When they entered her room, he actually felt the last vestiges of fear leaving him at the sight of her in the hospital bed. _Subtract the girl-never!-protect-always..._

She was so pale, with chapped lips and dark circles under eyes. She saw him and her entire face lit up and she actually tried to get up from the bed. He closed the distance quickly and simply got on the floor next to her bed, taking her had in his and kissing it.

 _Kim-protect-mine-forever..._

Now, he felt content. The pain and restless need all were gone and he could focus with his entire being on the girl in front of him.

She was...

Beautiful. Brilliant. Amazing. Bright. Perfect.

The words whispered through his mind and he pressed her fingers to his cheek, the tips touching the corner of his eye. He felt like there were invisible cords growing between them, tied them together. Was this obsession starting to eat at his sanity? But if it did, then why did he feel so whole? So complete? It was not rational, but somehow felt true. He felt like the purging of the last two day accomplished only one thing: it failed to break their connection, and its tumultuous wake, all that was left was this maddening need to be close. _Kim-protect-mine-forever..._

"How are you, sweetheart?" he murmured into the quiet between them. And though the world narrowed to just her and him, he was aware of her mother sitting on the only chair by the bed; Chuck entering the room after him; nurse putting notes in the chart... _Not a threat, not a threat, not a threat..._ He did not mind the hyper-awareness any more. It helped to keep Kim safe. It was his job to make sure she was safe. No... Not a job, a necessity. Like his heart was necessary to him, so was she...

"Better now. I... I had horrible nightmares..." she whispered, clearly still shaken by them. He startled at the word _nightmare._ Was she similarly affected? Jack swallowed hard, not sure what to do with this newest information. The thought that Kim was longing for him the way he was aching for her caused his stomach to turn over nervously. Jack turned his face into her palm, kissing it and inhaling deeply. His heart rate increased, imagining her thinking about him right then. Had she imagined him the way he'd seen her in his mind's eye? Was Kim longing for his touch, the sound of her name on his lips the way he was with her?

The part of him that registered everything that was happening around them, noted that her parents and the nurse stepped out quietly, giving them privacy they needed. He relaxed a little more.

"Nothing's ever going to hurt you. I won't let them," he vowed quietly and her limpid eyes swam in tears.

"You can't promise that, Jack. I can get sick again..." her face clouded again and she winced as if remembering her ordeal. "it hurt, Jack, so much..." she cried now and he only barely suppressed the urge to run to santero's house to beat him bloody and blue. _Subtract the girl... Never! Protect-mine-always..._ She needed him right now.

"Shhh, sweetheart, you are Ok now, you are fine..." he cooed at her, not caring how it looked or sounded to others.

"And then, I had this horrid dream. You were... you were..." she choked on tears, unable to vocalize, and he figured what her nightmare was. His was the same.

"I am here now, sweetheart. I am not going anywhere. I'll keep the bad dreams away."

"What is happening, Jack?" she asked plaintively and could see how this did not make sense to her, poor girl. She must be confused, feeling this need to be close and not knowing where it came from; seeing those horrid dreams and not understanding what brought them on; felling that pain and uncomprehending the connection. "Were you sick, like me?" she asked with wide eyes and he fought with himself of how much to reveal to her. He had no faith that Jerry would keep any of the santeria stuff to himself. That meant at least Milton would know and tell Kim. He bit his tongue in frustration (that boy was too close to Kim!).

But more importantly, if she were as affected as him, was it really so bad to let this take its course. They would be together, needing each other, staying close... His mind quickly drew wonderful pictures of blissful togetherness, when no one and nothing came between them; her eyes locked on his; her heart seeking his; her body needing him... _Kim-mine-forever..._ He knew then that she was his and he was hers. That's why the cure did not work. There was no obsession if it was fated. That's why she was hurt as he was hurting. That was it: they were meant to be...

"I was unwell because I foolishly thought Jerry's recommendation was any good," he finally said and her eyes widened yet again. "The santero priest, more like a charlatan masquerading as a witch doctor if you ask me, gave me some herbal tea and it gave me god-awful headache and nightmares."

"But... why did you need him? Santero, I mean."

Once again he was struck with how much to explain to her. She was smart and could put things together, especially if that redheaded pest was around (he really needed to limit the amount of time the two spend together).

"I... I had some difficulty adjusting back after Halloween," he spoke quietly, holding onto her hand and willing her to understand. "I hurt you, even if it was not me at the time. And you are so... so perfect and forgiving and understanding... I felt like I was not worthy of you," she opened her mouth to speak, no doubt to tell him that it was not the case, so he finished quickly. "And at the same time I was worried about you always: if you are safe and sound. I want to be around you all the time and I was worried that you'd think I am suffocating you... I had these dreams of you with bleeding lips and I..." he swallowed nervously, "I thought if santero helped Jerry with nightmares, he might help me."

Her face transformed into a look of understanding and acceptance. "You had traumatic experience. I think I understand," she stopped for a moment, her eyes slipping to their joined hands. "After my nightmare about you, I think I get how you feel."

He turned his face into her palm, kissing it again. Her other hand came to comb through his hair. Yes, this was great. Let her think it was just the after effects of the Halloween...

They sat like this a little longer and he simply steeped himself in this quiet bubble of _Kim-mine-forever_.

"I don't think that magic tea will help with that Jack," she broke the silence between them.

"You can say that again. I am not taking that stuff ever again." And he needed to make sure Jerry never said about the remaining dose. Or worse, gave Kim and the redhead ideas about the 'cure' and the obsession curse.

"But Jack, how is it possible that I had this sickness just as you were trying the cure? How is it possible?" She sounded so fearful, he instinctively lifted himself to lay in bed with her so he could wrap his hands around her. She burrowed into the crook of his neck, trusting and gentle, making his entire body melt into the embrace.

"I don't know the answer to that... I mean you were with Phil and Mima. Who knows what they fed you," he tried to downplay, even as he tucked the reminder to himself to be vigilant with the old woman. She had an unhealthy interest in Kim.

"Could it be that we are... connected somehow?" She whispered shyly and unsure.

"At this point, your theory is as good as any. I mean, a ghost took over me and we now both have nightmares about that time... We might be more in tune than before. Have you had nightmares before yesterday?" Please, let her think it was just psychological issues...

She sighed and he could feel her small fingers run circles over his heart.

"I... did. Not as clear as these ones," she stopped obviously mulling this possibility. "So there is this other theory..." she trailed off once again.

"Go on, sweetheart."

"It sounds so unbelievable, but... Do you think Yoshimi took over you again?" she finished in a near whisper.

He stilled minutely and then relaxed again, "Do you see freaky eyes? Do you hear doubled voice?" he inquired and at her negative answers continued. "Then why do you think that?" He needed to play this right...

"I don't know why. But Milton..." he forced himself to stay still at the mention of that boy's name - he really was too close to Kim and now was filling her head with this nonsense - and continued to rub hands over her arm and shoulder. "...says that it is possible. And we went to the temple priest."

This time he could not hide the reaction. Surprised, shocked and betrayed he looked at her and she rushed to explain, "I had another nightmare the day before. In it, I think, I saw Mariko die and I just wasn't sure anymore and it seemed liked I had a weird prophetic dream about the past, but we never did learn how she died. And I just spent the evening puking and it's possible I was just prone to suggestion... But then the priest said that she was poisoned, and I... don't know. I don't know if it was the past I saw or just a conjecture of my tired mind."

He was quiet, processing everything she just said. She saw herself die. Poor girl, she must have been spooked. And he was not available because of what that charlatan told him to avoid his love. And she turned to the redhead. And the redhead took her to the temple priest. So, he definitely could not trust the other boy.

"What did the priest say? Other than tell you the story?" he kept his voice even and soft, as he tried to figure out which threat was the biggest right now.

"The priest said that they performed the ritual to help Yoshimi rest in peace..." he nearly snorted at that - what were mere human ceremonies against fate? - and snuggled closer to her. She was curiously quiet and he had an inkling that there was more... "But I guess, it did not work, because he thinks they need Yoshimi's or Mariko's family to participate."

"For what it's worth, I do not feel like I had chunk of memory missing or any unusual desire to study," he said with a smile and she looked at him with raised brow. Then, remembering the legend of Yoshimi the Studious, she smiled. "And this theory of repeat possession does not explain why you were so affected."

"I guess it was too strange of a theory."

"I'll say. Go to sleep, sweetheart, you need your rest," he agreed, pleased to dissuade her from that particular line of thought.

He needed to make sure that she did not spend too much time with the redhead. And he supposed he needed to check to see if there were any offspring around. Takanada family was wily, Mariko had a sister...

* * *

Kim kept her reactions as measured as possible. She wasn't sure if she believed the priest about the possession and her connection to the ghost. It seemed so... so impossible.

But even if she were willing to approach this rationally, there was something quite different about Jack lately. He himself finally admitted that he had troubles dealing with the events of Halloween. He even tried the spiritual healer to help him. Part of her was inordinately proud of him for taking a step to dealing with issues as opposed to ignoring them in hopes of them disappearing.

A larger part of her wondered if possession actually took place and Jack simply was unaware of it. If so, then it was entirely plausible that his character changes were Yoshimi breaking through. And if that was the case, should she really confront the spirit that was capable of violence and, apparently, murder? Because, while she and few others might think that it was Yoshimi acting, to the world at large it was Jack. And if she said something to provoke him and he did something irreversible, it would be Jack paying for it.

She suspected that Jack did not fully realize that he was not entirely himself. But she saw the differences: the way he spoke, how thoughtfully he addressed her concerns, how he managed to answer everything and make it seem like not a big deal... Like he wanted her to think nothing of the possible supernatural reasons for all of this.

She shivered when thinking that she was not inly dealing with Jack, but a paranoid and obsessed ghost bent on his mission.

She knew then that she could not spring on him the information on their soulmate status and consummation as a solution. Jack would not believe her and Yoshimi... Yoshimi might think its a trap again and he would fight against it.

And all along these ruminations, Kim could not help but remember how he was when he got into her room. His expression, soft and loving; his words, romantic and wonderful; his kisses, gently and caring... She did not know, could not know, which part - to which extent - all of this was Jack or Yoshimi. Despite the gravity of the situation she wondered, the sixteen year old part of her wondered, if any of this was Jack. He liked her. Had a crush on her and was her friend. But he did not hold her like she was the only one for him. He did not go around verbally and physically declaring her to be off limits to others. He did not act possessively. He was not so intense. Or so considerate. Or prone such romantic gestures... He could not even go to the dance when she asked him...

And into all of this she would have to introduce sex...

Even deeper part of her was terrified: what she experienced with Yoshimi on Halloween - the biting kisses and dominant embrace, the pleasure he seemed to derive from treading the line of painful, the violence he was capable of - made her scared of being with him alone...

 _Jack acts like he can't live without me_ , she thought to herself unsteadily, _but not in the amazing, romantic way. It was more in the horrifying, permanently psychologically damaging way_. Kim nearly rolled her eyes, _that would be my luck._


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Once again, thank you for reading and reviewing. I communicate to my reviewers directly if they are registered users. Otherwise, it leaves this imperfect method of author notes.

So, to Alexa and Anna: this is a supernatural and romance story. Not angst, or drama, or tragedy. I use these designations to indicate the tone of the story. So, hopefully, this assuages your worries about the ending (I am not giving it up as it would be cheating and I want you to continue reading:-).

I do not plan to use time-travel as a plot device: again, this is a supernatural story, not sci-fi.

As for Kim's musings in the last chapter: she is very, very overwhelmed. She had a violent encounter with Yoshimi on Halloween, she dealt with Jack's increasingly obsessive behavior, she was deathly sick, she was told she is a soulmate to a belligerent ghost, and she was told she needs to sleep with this Jack/Yoshimi hybrid to cure her boyfriend. But, she is a smart girl.

Please keep in mind that this is a highly unusual problem that our highschoolers are dealing with. They fumble and try.

* * *

Kim woke up feeling a little cold and she tried to snuggle into the pillow that was keeping her warm. Only to realize that it was gone. Or rather, he was gone. Her warm pillow was Jack, who climbed into bed with her, soothing all her fears and doubts. Though he did not quite succeed, he made her feel so safe and comfortable. She fell asleep to the sound of his steady and reassuring heartbeat and it was the best lullaby.

She looked around the room to find it empty and squinted at the clock on the wall. It was still early in the morning, 7:30. How much longer would they keep her in the hospital? She felt remarkably rested and all that malaise that afflicted her earlier was gone. In fact, she felt very hungry and ready to eat a full hearty breakfast. She was about to call for nurse to find out if there was anything she could eat, or to inquire after her parents, when the door creaked open.

Jerry and Milton creeped into the room and she did a double take at the sight of her curly-haired friend. He had a massive shiner around his one eye and, when Milton stepped close, she noticed that he was holding his one wrist protectively against his chest.

"How are you Kim?" Milton began politely.

"How am I?" she said incredulous. "How are you?" she said with emphasis and gestured to their injured bodies.

"Oh, that..." Jerry looked ready to spill the beans, but Milton shushed him.

"You have to understand Kim, Jack was very distraught to find out that you were sick," he said and she looked at them uncomprehendingly.

"And that explains this how?" she asked and wished she had something to eat, because she as sure the lack of nutrition was making her slow.

"Well, I don't know if you heard about santero..."

"Jack mentioned some herbal tea and gave him headaches and nightmares. Sorry, Jerry, it seems like that guy is a bust," she said quickly, only to catch the boys exchange glances. "What is it?"

"Well, santero told Jack to avoid you while he was taking the cure," Jerry said. "And when I saw him here trying to get to you, I told him about that," Jerry gingerly touched his black eye. "Let's just say Jack did not like it to be told that he can't see you."

"Jack gave you the black eye?!" she was sure she misunderstood. "Seriously?" No, it really did not make sense at all. This was not Jack. He did not get viol... She actually stopped herself, reminded of the times Jack did get violent with Albert and Brett. _And Yoshimi, who killed a man_. But, those were not his friends. This was Jerry. His bro. "I can't believe it. I am so sorry, Jerry."

"Sure, sure. We actually have a bigger problem. Or maybe its all part of the same problem," Jerry waived off her apology.

She sighed and gestured for him to continue. "Go on."

" _I_ think that Jack is cursed with obsessive love," he blurted and emphasized the pronoun.

"A what now?"

"Obsessive love curse, Kim," he said as if it answered all the questions.

"But... Why? And by whom? And, really?" she could not even complete the sentences she was so surprised.

"What Jerry is saying, however ineloquently, is that the santero believes that Yoshimi was cursed with obsessive love. And that curse stuck with Jack now, because somehow you and Mariko are the same," Milton's voice was full of doubt and sarcasm. She actually flinched at the reminder of that little piece of the problem: Yoshimi confusing her for Mariko.

"That does not make any sense," she said, apparently agreeing with Milton. "What do you think?" she addressed Milton.

"I agree. There are too many variables to allow for this theory. One, it assumes that Yoshimi was cursed with this obsessive love thing. And we know it's not the case. Two, it assumes that the curse is sentient and now views you and Mariko as one and the same. And I admit that it is possible, given the events of the Halloween, although I'd rather not think of a possibility of sentient and evolving curses. Third, it assumes that the curse, such as it is, transferred on Jack, and remained with him, even after the spirit has left. See, too many variables and assumptions. It is the answer that is looking for a question." Milton delivered it all as if he was discussing the infeasibility of the math problem, not something he only recently branded a 'junky voodoo.'

She sat there, trying to process everything that she just heard.

"Then how do you explain Jack's Kim-obsession and 'punch first, ask questions later' thing? I am the only one he hit. He almost broke your wrist and you should have seen him at santero's. Jack grabbed him and I thought his eyes will shoot death rays!" Jerry said quickly.

"Y...Your wrist?" Kim actually choked on her words. Oh no... Jack attacked Milton?

"I am fine Kim. Just some bruising. He is remarkably strong, you know," Milton said almost absently, his mind already focusing in something else. "Why did he grab and stare down santero?" he said addressing Jerry.

"Well, Miguel said that if there is no object of obsession, there would be no obsession." Jerry said quietly, not quite looking at her.

It dawned on her, in some sort of detached manner, that this unknown person casually told her overprotective boyfriend to - what exactly? get rid of her? in a permanent way? - and that Jack predictably overreacted. She also briefly thought she would not have minded if Jack did more than just grab and stare down, if the solution was 'get rid of Kim permanently.'

"No object of obsession... Meaning, of course, Kim." Milton mulled over. "No, still does not make sense. Those solutions by the santero are all wrong because they all stem from the wrong premise."

She relaxed a little at those words. "Ok, so what is your theory then, Milton?"

"You know my theory, Kim. I think Yoshimi is not gone and his love for Mariko, while maybe obsessive, is not a result of a curse, but rather because of the tragic circumstances. So, what Jack is experiencing is Yoshimi's feelings amplifying his own. In such a case, santero's cure is useless. And you know that the medicine that is not applied correctly can turn into a poison." Milton delivered it all sagely, while holding her gaze, as if wiling her to agree with him.

And it did make sense. No matter how much she wished it didn't. Her nighttime musings, while falling asleep, came back to her. Jack was not quite himself and his over-protectiveness was just so over...whelming. He had exhibited poor impulse control lately, with regards to his jealousy and protectiveness. He was hurting other people. He might hurt someone beyond reason, like what he had done to his friends. Friends! Admittedly, he was probably freaking out over her actually being hurt, instead of thinking she might be.

And the priest did say that it was possible... And she was sick when he took this wrong cure... Was it possible that what the priest said was true? Was she somehow tied to Yoshimi now? Did she really have to... consummate the bond? Wouldn't it make her connection to him even stronger?

She did not say any of it to her friends. Instead, she asked calmly, "So, if I understand you correctly, we would need to do what priest said, right? Perform the burial ritual with members of Yoshimi's and Mariko's family, no?"

"Yes. I will go to the temple and get the diary again. We should be able to identify at least the last names of Yoshimi and Mariko. And from there, maybe track their offspirng. The temple monks may not have found them, but technology had moved on. I know for sure the city archives were digitized recently. We can compare those records against the last names... I am confident that we can at least find some traces."

"Let's hope there are some still around," she said quietly.

"And I will check with santero. Maybe if he knows the real problem here, he might have some answers," Jerry told them and her heart soared at the knowledge that she and Jack had such steadfast friends.

Please, she begged silently, let there be a solution. Let them help Jack. She could not imagine her life without him, but Yoshimi was hellbent on ruining it.

* * *

Kim fell asleep soon after they snuggled in. Her even breathing, the rhythmic rise and fall of the chest, the warmth of breath on his shoulder, were soothing him like nothing ever could. His fear, paranoia, remnants of the pain, were all gone in this moment. He waited until she deep asleep, tracing light fingers over her skin (she did have such dark circles under eyes).

Slowly he untangled himself from her embrace, covering her with extra blanket. When he was sure she would not wake up, he exited her room. He ran into her dad almost immediately, who looked at him with combination of weariness and grudging acceptance.

"How is she?" Chuck asked him gruffly.

"Asleep now," he answered, knowing what the follow up would be. He needed to tread this carefully, but if he played this right, he could virtually guaranty that Kim was not around undesirable people. Chuck could be his greatest ally here.

"Did she...?" and there it was.

"Not quite. She says she had bad nightmares last couple of weeks. She is tired and had been extra busy because of the school project with Milton, and at the dojo, and helping Phil. You heard about that?"

Chuck nodded and was thinking it over, "Do you know what the nightmares are about?"

He cleared his throat as if embarrassed, "Well the last one was about me being sick, as you know. I guess we have not seen each other for a couple of days and her being tired and worried... Her mind conjured things. Plus she was sick herself," he rubbed the back of his head and looked away from her father. Then, gathering himself, he continued, "But she had mostly nightmares about herself. Running, being chased, falling, drowning... That sort of thing."

He trailed off allowing the older man to come to his own conclusions, hopefully the ones that he nudged towards.

"So, she is anxious over her life, right? Trying to keep up and all... She is quite busy. Too over-scheduled. School, dojo, music, cheer-leading, Phil.. She even wanted to volunteer to boost her resume," the other man riffed off Jack's suggestion easily, no doubt grasping the easy solution to something that terrified him.

"I guess she is overtired. Lately, I could hardly see her with Phil's mother around. That woman likes Kim quite a lot and Kim, of course, wants to help. But Phil is busy and Kim and Jerry were spending most of their free time with the woman," he stopped to make sure Chuck took note of that and then went on. "And she has that school project with Milton, who is awesome of course, but sometimes he is too intense about his reports and makes such a deep dive into the topic. Hardly anyone can keep up with him. In fact, most people don't want to be partnered with him. But Kim is very responsible, so she is trying to keep her end of the deal..."

He saw that his words were falling on fertile ground. Chuck definitely was pensive and nodded along to Jack's words.

"Maybe, Liz and I can convince her to take it easy for the next few weeks. What do you think Jack?" he asked and Jack silently thanked his luck.

"It would help at least with being tired part. And I would remind her to stop and breath every now and then. And, hopefully, she will fully confess. Maybe there is someone at school, who is antagonizing her, or maybe following her or something..."

"Thank you, Jack," with a nod, the man left and Jack was free to go through with his own plans. By this point it was already six in the morning. Early, but maybe this would be a good thing. Less people to take notice...

* * *

It only took twenty minutes to drive to the santero's house.

Jack burst through the gates and headed towards the back yard room from where he could hear voices.

"What did you do, charlatan?!" He all but roared as he entered, seeking the face of the one who hurt Kim.

He vaguely registered the presence of three others: two men and a woman (construction workers, sturdy builds, but sloppy postures and no situational awareness).

It seemed like Miguel had clients.

"Jack," Miguel's voice was calm as he approached Jack with a frown on his face. "I am with clients," he spoke softly, taking a hold of Jack's arm.

Jack shook him off.

"What did you do to her?" he repeated menacingly. "What did you give me?!" The only reason he wasn't shaking the answers out of him was that whether horrible healer or not, the man still had clients and reputation.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Miguel replied calmly.

Jack's fists clenched at his sides. He was losing his patience.

"I am going to ask you one last time," he addressed the santero again, his eyes narrowing into slits "What. Did. You. Do?"

"Jack, calm down," Miguel urged him.

"I will not calm down!" Jack shouted "I can't calm down! Kim was sick and nearly died these past two days!"

Miguel's face transformed in shock and he began whispering in agitated Spanish. Finally, he said, shaking his head, "It cannot be. It cannot..."

Jack laughed. It was an ugly, mocking, bitter sound. "Then why did she end up in the hospital twice in as many days?" he asked santero, his eyes shifting from Miguel to one of the construction workers, who was obviously going for a phone.

Before the man could finish pulling the phone out, Jack lunged for him and took away the phone, tossing it in the far corner of the yard.

The phoneless man reared back, but then a stubborn expression came over him. Jack's entire being hummed in anticipation. So much pent up energy and violence was rushing through him, he'd welcome a fight now. He dodged the first punch the phoneless man tried to land on him and reciprocated with two of his own - one to the ribs and another to the jaw. Then he ducked again and swiped his opponent's feet, knocking him to the ground.

The woman shrieked and was praying, as she hid behind santero.

The second construction worker didn't fare any better against Jack. He was quickly disarmed the man of the screwdriver and kicked him to the ground. As soon as they were no longer standing he straightened up and pointed his new weapon (really, a screwdriver, he distantly thought in disbelief; but it was heavy and had a pointed end) at the santero, muscles tense and eyes furious. He'd only remembered feeling like this when Milton hit him on Halloween.

"I told you she was off limits. I told you that eliminating her was not an OPTION!" Jack growled, weapon pointed at Miguel.

He saw woman grab at santero's hands, but Miguel shushed her saying something about caballo.*

"I am sorry. I saw the problem and misunderstood. So my solution was wrong. She was never the target." Miguel spoke evenly, as if not perturbed by all that occurred in his yard. "Do not take the tea. It was meant to sever the obsession. But that is not what is happening here. She was hurt, because you were hurt. You must seek another solution now."

Jack bristled and stepped up to Miguel, screwdriver pointed at the other man's eye, "There is no problem that requires a solution."

"But... You and her... You have to let me..." Miguel spoke quickly, but Jack was having none of it.

"Stay. Out. Of. It" his words dripped slow and sure and his make-shit weapon was brought closer to the santero's eye.

Miguel nodded and even lifted his hands in placation.

Pacified, Jack stepped back and sighed tiredly, wishing the last two days never happened at all.

He looked straight at the man. "Once she's out of the hospital and I make sure she's fine, I don't ever want to see or hear from you again. You do not try to solve this yourself and you do not give Jerry ideas. You are a charlatan and you went after her, despite me telling you it was not an option," he declared, keeping his voice as emotionless as possible. "If I hear that you tried to interfere, I will make sure that you are investigated by every government authority there is. And if that is not enough, I will personally make sure that this place burns down. Comprende?"

With that he turned around and walked out of the yard.

* * *

On the way back to the hospital, he noticed the return of the headache and general restlessness. That ever present feeling that he could not relax and had to be in the fighting mode returned again. He knew that Kim was asleep in the hospital, but the irrational part of him needed to make sure that she was fine. Only, it wasn't irrational, was it? He felt it accelerate in the two days that he did not see her to the point of near paranoia...

Only to completely disappear when they were together in that hospital bed. There was something about being confined in a small, dimly lit space with Kim which made all the tension leave his body. The smell of her was in his nostrils and it made him feel like everything was going to be alright. In fact he was more than a little reluctant to leave the comfort of the bed, but Miguel and his black magic had to be dealt with and Jack slid from under her even as his stomach clenched painfully.

He was at hospital, and now that it was a daylight, the visiting hours were en force. He was walking towards her room, body relaxing already in anticipation of seeing her, when he heard Kim give a little gasp of surprise, hearing the small sound despite the noisiness of the hallway. Apparently his hearing was as attuned to the sound of her voice as he was to her scent. Jack's head snapped around to where Kim's room was just steps away and he almost ran to the doors.

Until he heard a responding deeper voices. Redhead and the Latino. He stilled by the doors and listened in.

He could not believe it. Both of his so-called friends were actively conspiring against him. He knew, he knew, he could not trust the redhead, but Jerry? Fuck... Good thing he already sorted the santero out. Now, the temple records...

He needed to be careful about it. Chuck was probably going to do his part of Jack's agenda, but Kim was friends with these two. It would be harder to convince her to stop hanging out with them. And though she probably did not listen to Jerry all that much, Milton was another matter altogether.

So he couldn't just jump in there and demand answers from these boys about them conspiring against him. He fell back against the wall, closing his eyes and considering the options.

He felt the presence move past him and opened eyes to see a nurse enter Kim's room. All right, this would be a good time to come in. Likely that the three Wasabi Warriors would not be talking about supernatural stuff in front of the outsider and Jack could step in.

Which he did and his eyes went wide at what he was seeing, breathe exhaling in an angry hiss…

A nurse, a male nurse, was hugging Kim and she had a pinched look on her face.

Jack closed the distance in three large strides and immediately grabbed the man's wrist, violently jerking him away from Kim. "Don't touch her!" he practically yelled.

Both Kim and the man were looking at him in shock. She quickly put a hand to Jack's arm. "It's okay," said Kim sharply. "Nothing is wrong, Jack."

Jack was glaring death at the other man, his emotions a riot of angry outrage. "He was pawing at you," he snarled. All Jack could think about was beating this man to a pulp for having the audacity to lay his hands on Kim and hurting her. His right hand curled into a fist on instinct.

"No, he really wasn't," said Kim urgently. "Jack, look at me," she grabbed his face and made him tear his attention from the taken aback man. "I'm fine. He is a nurse. I asked to help with the pillows and there are all these tubes, and one got pulled. It was just an accident. There isn't anything to get upset about here."

Jack stared at her in disbelief. "He was touching you," he ground out. Why didn't Kim understand how bad that was? Why the man didn't deserve to breath same air. It seemed so obvious to Jack, he didn't even question it.

"I am fine, Jack," said Kim in low undertones, holding his gaze intently. "I am fine."

Jack swallowed hard, trying to clear the red haze which had settled in his brain the instant he'd seen the other man touching Kim. She was right, he was overreacting in a major way and Jack couldn't help but feel shaken by the intensity of his emotions.

"Jack?" Jerry asked with a little uncertainly, having witnessed the whole scene.

Kim's touch was causing the tension to ebb from Jack's body. He uncurled his fist and did what she told him to, he breathed. His heart slowed down and he looked over at Jerry and Milton, noticing the nurse had already disappeared into the hallway. Smart move on the his behalf.

"Just still worked up about Kim being hurt," he managed to squeeze out. "No need to worry, everyone."

Boys still looked at him as if he was an alien and he swallowed against the angry feeling of having to deal with them. _No, be smart about it. She cares about these two._

"And sorry for this morning, guys. I... I was freaking out. I mean, you, Milton, told me her heart nearly stopped, and then you, Jerry, were telling me I should not be here..." he rubbed the back of his head. "You understand, right?"

They still looked unsettled, and curiously exchanged glances with Kim, before nodding in acceptance of his measly apology.

They soon left to go to school, and the blissful quiet descended on him and Kim, but in the back of his mind, he kept thinking about boys. That their acceptance was too quick and, given the conversation he heard before that nurse stepped in, he had to watch out for either of them trying to work against him.

*Caballo is a term used in santeria to describe the trance possession by Orichas (gods). It literally stems from Spanish to indicate the verb 'mount.' Here, Miguel realizes that Jack is possessed and uses the term he is familiar with.

A/N: Yoshimi is on the offensive now and the rest of the Gang has their little plans to help Jack. Meanwhile, Kim is trying to keep his overreactions to a minimum.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: So, a little interlude between our couple and Kim's thought process on the whole consummation business.

* * *

Sitting in beds had pretty much become epically boring by the time Tuesday afternoon rolled around.

Kim had woken up early the day when the on-duty nurse had come sailing through her door to check on her and kick Jack out for a few hours now that she had gotten enough sleep. Or tried to, because no one made Jack in a strop go anywhere he didn't chose to go. Watching the nurse squirm under his gaze had given Kim a guilty, vicious sorta thrill. The way she flushed when he uncoiled up off the bedside with a slow, feline roll of his body. The way he managed to make a simple press of his lips against Kim's into something filthy before striding around the woman, his face pulled into sly defiance as he eyed her.

This particular nurse has been tutting and giving them disapproving glances her whole shift. Apparently, she was displeased to be pulled from her normal rotation to replace the other guy nurse, who Jack spooked so much, the man refused to deal with her again. And, to be honest, Kim understood both the guy nurse and this replacement one. Only, they were making her the villain and it did not sit well with Jack. Really, Kim did not even care if they had some uncharitable thoughts of her. But she was terribly worried about what Jack might pull if he thought the nurses were anything other than absolutely the best professionals.

He was... worried. And it made him very, very, dangerous. His entire body would tightened and muscles would contract into a coil of power the moment there was a nursing staff or a technician in the room with her.

At five feet, ten inches, and generally slender build, Jack would not have been enough to make most people stop in their tracks. Sure, a trained athletes could see that he was a strong, agile teen with muscle that was not for show, but earned through actual work. But right now, no one could ignore the aura of hair-trigger danger that he wore like a second skin. Or ignore the fact that, even on two legs, he still moved like a wild animal on a tenuous leash. He would angle his body to stand ever so slightly between her and whoever was in the room with her. His eyes would track them constantly, distrustful and hard. He asked, demanded to know, what they were in the room for, what procedure they were doing, and even wanted to inspect the food they brought to her. She was mentally checking off how correct she was about her assumption on him going paranoid over food poisoning and checking her meals. He even snarled, lip curling upwards to reveal teeth, at the replacement nurse and she actually had to grab his hand again to calm him down.

He spend an entire day Monday with her and only when Grace called her about the practice that he was going to miss, did she finally convince him to leave. Luckily, her mom came from office to be with her and Jack left her with the softest of kisses.

It was during those hours that he was at practice that Milton showed up. He managed to convince the priest to give him Yoshimi's journal. Unfortunately, the truncated translation of it was nowhere to be found. It wasn't much, but her friend was optimistic. Armed with at least the last names of the ill-fated beloveds, Milton was planning on searching all available records. When he was about to leave, Kim finally approached the subject that she was dreading.

"Milton, I don't think Jack would easily agree to any of the plans to resolve the situation. If you are right and Yoshimi is in there with him, Jack would oppose any attempts. Rather Yoshimi would oppose. He... he spent last night convincing me that all our issues are psychological at most. And... he is easily provoked. Look at what he did to you and Jerry."

"You maybe right. He was already distrustful of me even before you become ill. And it is a safe bet that he would not listen to Jerry anymore after the santero fiasco."

"I don't want you to get into trouble with him. He was already strong opponent and now, with Yoshimi added to the mix..."

"Yes. He is stronger, much stronger. And probably even better martial artist than before," Milton added, nodding along.

"And you saw, with his temper and control being what they are. I mean, that nurse guy..." she sighed still uncomfortable with the realization that she was in fact a major trigger of all these issues and a focus of this intense protectiveness.

"I will be careful, Kim. I would say the same to you, but I think it is obvious that you would be safe with him."

With that he left, leaving Kim to think that she was not quite so sure about her safety. She remembered how during Halloween Yoshimi looked when he thought she was defending Milton because she was partial to her friend. She was not sure if this new version of Jack/Yoshimi would react if they thought she was not fully theirs.

* * *

She was finally released, doctors having run out of the test they could perform to answer the puzzle that was Kim's malady. Because she was fine now. Everything went seemingly back to normal, even if her pressure and pulse sometimes dropped low and make her faint. Doctors wanted to continue with more tests and asked her to keep a food diary and watch her anxiety levels. The low blood pressure was something she had to watch and carry some salty snacks to counteract.

Her mom was worried that there was no diagnosis, although, curiously, her dad exchanged glances with Jack and they looked like they had some sort of understanding. She was told to take it easy for the next couple of days and try to eat a well-balanced diet.

Jack saw her home and because it was almost dinner time, he left to go home. She was weary to fall asleep again fearing the nightmares. She didn't tell her parents, and she didn't k ow how Jack managed it, buy he'd shown up at her room long past visiting hours to keep her company those two nights in the hospital. As uneasy as she was about the new entity that was Jack/Yoshimi, his presence brought her comfort and kept the ugly dreams away.

She was getting ready, and stretching the time as long as she could on every task, but eventually she was all done and just stared at her bed with its fresh linens. Shaking head at her own silliness, she was about to climb in when she heard gentle scraping against the window. Heart thumping hard, she armed herself with a yardstick and pulled the curtain.

Yardstick fell out of her hand, forgotten and unnecessary, as she saw Jack perched on the windowsill and smiling at her. She opened the window to let him in, no longer surprised to see him here.

"I... I just can't fall asleep. Keep thinking something will happen to you and then... Is it OK if I stay here a little?" He spoke softly and running uneasy hand through his hair.

She was torn. She did not want to have nightmares and wanted her boyfriend to be there and keep them away, but she also recognized that he wasn't only Jack anymore. With him came the unstable man, who saw her as his destined beloved and whose violent nature was not too far away. She stood there, unsure and speechless, and he finally made a move.

* * *

"I can't sleep. You invade my dreams and they are not always pleasant," he stated bluntly.

Kim flinched. "What do you mean?"

He stepped forward slowly, watching as the girl fought not to back away from the sudden change of tone from soft to just a little harder and more intent. "You either are sick or hurt in them and then all I want to do is crush and burn. Or you are running away from me and then I chase you until you disappear like a fog. Or you are there with me, and we are _together,_ but not quite, and I want to die for entirely different reason," he purred and whispered the last part into her ear, "I missed you. My girlfriend. Surely you can see it by now."

Kim suddenly back-peddled as he continued to crowd her.

"I don't…what... I am sorry you had bad dreams," she looked even more apprehensive as she continued to back away. Why? Was she scared?

"Not as sorry as that damn fool was," Jack mumbled, gratified to see the girl shiver as her back met the wall. "I welcome any dream with you in them. Even nightmares. Because then you are with me. I hate the most the times when I am awake and away from you. May I stay here?" it was barely a question and more a statement at this point.

"You're not making any sense! Jack, what if my parents decide to check on me? I don't want that kind of trouble for you or for me," Kim's eyes flashed with that inkling of her temper and he could feel his lips tipping upward into a predator's grin, enjoying the rebellion in her as he advanced on her.

"They are asleep. Have been for at least half an hour by now. And even if they do find me here, I say it's worth it to spend some time with you."

Her eyes widened and her lips opened in shock and he found himself wanting to kiss them right then.

"I missed you," he pushed, ducking down to run his lips along her pulse, enjoying the shuddering of her body in his arms as he leaned into her, chest crushing against her breasts. Little hands skated up his arms and over his shoulders, helplessly stroking him through the soft crushed fabric. "Like this..."

"But... Jack," she whispered, so quietly he could scarcely hear her. "it's dangerous..."

He shook his head before pressing his forehead to hers. "Please Kim," he rumbled, feeling her hands tighten into his shirt as her huge eyes sought his, going practically cross-eyed with the attempt. "I need you..."

She closed eyes and opened her mouth and, obliging her, he kissed her as slowly and sweetly as he knew how, biting back a growl as slim fingers raked through his hair and then fisted as if she could hold him there. And she could, because he'd give her everything, anything at all if she desired it of him. His hands came down from where they had been braced against the wall, sliding around her waist and pulling her body up into his until her legs curled across the small of his back. One hand drifted downwards from her waist and palmed a firm, round cheek as he rolled his hips into hers, purring roughly against her lips as she squeaked in surprise. His kiss turned rough for a moment, before gentling again as she stroked her fingers along the nape of his neck.

Finally, he pulled back to let her breathe. Her chest had begun to heave against his and while he enjoyed having such an effect on the girl, he didn't want her passing out. Her doe eyes drifted open as he pressed a quick kiss to the corner of her lips and he smiled as they slowly lifted to his. "There you are," he murmured as Kim's eyes began to focus again. "We can't let you blood pressure jump so much..."

"Then you should let me go. You have this effect on my heartbeat," she said quietly and then closed eyes in mortification for having revealed so much.

"Good to know," he laughed lowly and simply carried her to bed, where he laid her down and came down atop her, bracing himself up on his forearms to keep from crushing her. She wouldn't look him in the eye, however, her face now resembling a tomato.

"If you are going to be like this..." she trailed off as his mouth came close to the pulse point.

Nuzzling her neck, he chuckled against her soft skin. Oh, he was going to love this game… "Tell me."

She squeaked again, trying not to move. "Tell you what?"

"Your heart is racing," a gentle scrape of teeth along her clavicle as he pulled down the strap of the camisole. "You look nervous," a press of lips to the underside of her jaw. "You're just short of hyperventilating," he dropped a thigh down between hers and rocked himself against her. "So tell me…what exactly was it that you just thought of?"

Her legs clamped shut around his, her small hands raking nails up his back under his shirt as she bucked under him in helpless response, ripping a hiss of pure pleasure from between his clenched teeth. "Ahhh... That you are stronger now and you... can... hold me up like this, against the wall... so easily..." she gasped as he rocked into her again, prompting her along.

She moaned as his lips found a particularly sensitive place on her fragile neck and sucked.

"Now that is interesting," he responded, kissing the small red mark he'd pulled to the surface, not at all surprised by the sense of satisfaction he had in knowing that he'd marked her. "Because I'm now inclined to do that to you in school hallways."

Then he was silencing her stuttering shock with his lips. She squirmed under him as he shifted to gain more contact, carefully lowering his weight onto one arm to free the other. His now freed hand slid up her bare back under her flimsy top, fingers skating under her breasts, feeling the skin prickle in response. Her legs locked around his waist and she clung tightly as if fearing that he intended to escape her, but he had no intentions of-

A shuffling noise of someone in the hallway made them freeze and her eyes widened to comical proportions. He slid away from her to lie down next and she threw a blanket over him. Whoever it was did not leave the master bedroom and soon the house was quiet again.

Kim, who was shaking this entire time, finally began to relax and exhaled a long breath, "I think we should just try and sleep. No funny business!" She said sternly and he obliged.

She was first to drift off and he stayed awake a little longer until he, too, fell asleep.

* * *

Kim woke up next morning, ready to go to school. She could not remember her dreams and that was a good thing. It meant that there were no nightmares. She was alone in her room and figured that Jack left some time in the morning. She lay in bed remembering the time before they actually went to sleep and had to admit to herself that she was very attracted to the more decisive and forward Jack. He was more sure of himself and acted like he had tons of experience and it was... attractive. At least her body responded to him in the most basic of ways.

In a larger scale of things, this probably was a good development. All this teasing and tension would lead to their first time together.

Even in her mind she avoided terms like making love (not sure if it would be that) or consummation (sounded too much like just a cure and a solution) or sex (too impersonal and scientific). But she had to get over it. And soon. And really, why was she so hesitant about it? This was Jack, albeit enhanced with Yoshimi, but still... Jack, who was heroic and a lynchpin of their group. Jack, who always defended her. Jack, who practically challenged Prince Uval when he was jealous. Jack, with whom she had so many 'moments' she could fill in an entire journal. Jack, who maybe was a teenaged boy, but who also sat through her performances and went along with her ideas, because he was her friend and cared about her.

So what if this was not how she planned things to go. She did always think that he would be her first. The schedule might have been accelerated, but the sentiment remained. It was them. Kim and Jack. J+K.

She just needed to make sure that if there were any special steps she had to take to make it work. She blushed hard, mortified in advance, but there was no way around it. She had to go to the priest and find out about this... this consummation with the soulmate. She hoped it would be just straightforward act of doing it and not anything else She blushed again imagining a pentagram with priests at each end chanting something menacing and ancient. Would her spilled blood have to be used or... something else? Which made her think if condoms were permissible. She was sure her face was puce by this time, but it was something she had to consider, because if condoms were out, she needed to get on the pill. She did not fancy getting pregnant because of their supernaturally mandated roll in the hay.

Her heart-rate was so jumpy from thinking about all of this (plunging at the thought of sex and climbing whenever she thought of talking to the priest about the details), that she actually got lightheaded and had to lean back in bed to let it pass. It would seem that the santero's magic tea left her with some side effects. Phew, she needed to keep it hidden from Jack. He was so protective and with hair-trigger for violent responses that if he thought she was still ailing, who knew what he would do to the man or Jerry.

She was almost done with her makeup - she was extra careful to hide the dark circles and a fresh love bite - when Jack knocked on the door jamb, "Ready, beautiful?"

"What? No window today? I thought by now you simply prefer windows to doors," she teased with a smile, heart still jumping a little too much for her liking.

He came to stop behind her and looked at her in the mirror, "No need, your dad likes me now. So I can come in as I please without him getting all huffy." He looked smug and confident and his smile was a just a little crooked.

So handsome... So confident...

She saw his smile fade and eyes grow weary as kept looking at her. It was a mix of the same intensity, that he assumed when they had some of their most forward interactions, and worry that was evident in the searching look.

"What?" she said to his reflection.

His finger traced the pulse point at the base of her neck, "Your heart rate... Are you all right? Do you need water or a snack? Have you had your breakfast already?"

At this point her heart was speeding up for entirely different reasons. This close she could feel the heat of his body and the touch of his hand was sparking charged awareness everywhere.

"You should probably stop that if I'm going to make it to the breakfast and be presentable to my parents," Kim murmured reluctantly.

His eyes grew hooded at that and he turned her around, hugging her close. Her hands fisted into Jack's hair as her back was pressed against the mirror. Immediately his mouth dropped to her neck, and she whined _'makeup'_ already giving up the battle.

He snarled softly as if in protest, but removed his lips from her throat. It was funny, but Kim had always tended to secretly looked down her nose at girls with love bites plastered across their necks. But she'd had no idea just how good it felt to actually receive them…like hot and cool pinpricks of pleasure dancing up and down her spine.

His eyes met hers from under the dark sweep of his lashes, glittering with that intense heat that was nearly tangible, before he forcefully throttled it back and carefully step back from her.

"Breakfast now," he rasped out and she was torn between her own arousal and actual hunger.

Her fingers had been toying with the ringed zipper on the front of the hoody, preparing to zip it up from where it had somehow slid down between her breasts. His eyes had narrowed on the gesture, before he'd ducked his head and pressed his lips to the rounded curve of her left breast. Kim hands had found his hair and tugged, stuttering a halfhearted protest at the newness of the intimacy…for all a second until the first gentle stinging tug against her skin.

They were so close she couldn't fail to notice the way his body was pressed tightly against her own, hard and insistent against her belly. She hadn't been able help the way her hips rocked against him with every pull of his lips. In fact, it was only as she realized that the smell of her mom's cooking was in the air that she had finally called a halt.

Now, she scrutinized him carefully while he growled softly as he pressed the heel of his hand against the length trapped behind his fly as if to relieve the pressure, Kim flushing as he caught her watching him. A slow, sly smile curved his lips even as his hand swept slowly downward, stroking along what she hadn't yet seen, and she gasped before turning away. She could hardly believe he'd done such a thing in front of her, jumping as he laughed out loud before pressing his lips briefly against the nape of her neck.

She stood quietly as his arms came round, one grasping the hem and the other pulling up the zipper until it rested between her collarbones. "There," he rumbled. "Now you're safe."

She highly doubted that was the case.

On the plus side, getting him into bed with her probably was not going to be a problem, she mused. She just had to make sure he (rather, Yoshimi) did not realize it was going to banish him...

A/N: Jack is very forward and Kim knows it would be necessary, but she also _wants_ it to happen too.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: much plot development in this chapter. To my reviewers: all you theories, worries, concerns are valid and interesting and you probably would see some of them addressed in the story. I usually have at least three chapters written ahead, so some comments get their answers, and some - not yet.

A/N: Having seen some of the reviews I am hesitant about this development. I can't emphasize enough that I plotted this story from the beginning and always planned for all this to happen, but I am worried that you might find it to be too much.

* * *

Kim had the hardest time trying to get rid of Jack so she could ran to the temple for her little sex talk with the priest. At this point she was beyond blushing at her own thoughts and just went for the familiar snark. Still, she imagined if she actually were looking at the old man's face as she asked him about the technical details on the consummation and the role of condoms in it, she would probably die from mortification. If she did though, she decided she would haunt Jack in retaliation.

She smirked at herself and caught Jack's questioning look. Yeah, he now has taken to staring at her when they were together and it was almost too much. She knew that he was still worried about the side effects of the failed cure and could not quite blame him for being a worry-wart. Especially because she did feel tired more often and sometimes had to stop and just close her eyes against the faintness. She felt like swooning heroine of the Victorian romance novel, except she had no corset to blame for her weak constitution. So, she tried to keep those incidents covered up away from Jack, but it was difficult with him being next to her pretty much all the time.

Finally she resorted to the tried and true method of claiming some female problem that had to be resolved immediately and all three boys got the embarrassed and uncomfortable looks. She got up to leave and as she was leaving she told them that she might just take it easy and go home. Jack was about to get up and go with her, but she waived it off and Milton, wonderful Milton, distracted Jack by asking something or other about Jack's throw and whether the suggestions about twisting the spheroid in the end of the arc worked. She ran out of the school, belatedly realizing that she had no ride, and the school bus was not coming yet. Yet luck was on her side when she saw Stacy Uri at the lot. Kim charged towards the girl with purpose and, after agreeing to come to the school yearbook committee, Stacy gave her a ride to the temple. The other girl curiously asked what was Kim's purpose to be there and Kim just made up something about city history report.

The priest was still the same gentle man with kind eyes. She did not even bother with preamble, seeing as she doubted her situation was all too common and he probably remembered her.

"So, and I apologize in advance if this is offensive, but... do I need to say something specific or chant or anything really, when we are... that is... when we are..." she helplessly trailed off because for all her bluster earlier on, she was embarrassed beyond words.

"When you consummate the bond with Yoshimi?" the priest offered helpfully and she was at once relieved that he said it and unwilling to meet his eyes.

"Y...yes."

He took her hand and squeezed, bringing her some comfort and she finally looked up to him. His eyes were serious and face face bore no signs of amusement, much to her relief.

"Kim, I understand your situation and all the discomfort it brings you. You are dealing with matters beyond you comprehension and control and no one walks on the other side and leaves without scars. I know that you want to help your young man, but you also feel your connection to yurei. It isn't an easy path you are on. Let us hope that your connection to your man is strong. Stronger than..." he said solemnly and trailed off. After a short pause he continued, "You would need to bear a sign of protection, the ofuda*, so that Yoshimi does not try to occupy you. If you can, you'd have to draw the same sign on your young man. Ofuda repels malicious yurei and should be drawn on the forehead."

At this point he showed her hieroglyphs that needed to be drawn and she mentally patted herself for thinking to ask about the details.

"The sign, consummation and the burial rites all have to happen concurrently," he continued and Kim gulped at the idea of coordinating time of... of consummation with her friends and a priest. _Just my luck that at least a handful of people would know exactly when, and how, and with whom, I checked in my V-card_. "Your friend is looking for the distant family to help with the rites. It might take him some time, so you can get used to this situation and learn to draw the ofuda."

When he spoke like this, Kim did not feel like this was the second most embarrassing experience of her life (she figured, coordinating the time with her friends would be actually more ignominious). She gathered what's left of her dignity and asked the other question that she was pondering since this morning.

"Do we... Should I... Oh, f-fu-fudge! Can we use condom or does it have to be...?" and that was it, Kim simply could not bring herself to say more.

Somehow this managed to discombobulate the priest and he looked away from her. "Y-yes, there should not be barriers between the two of you. Your... blood of innocence would be the key," he finished looking at his hands and she simply stopped breathing, embarrassed for both of them. Could this situation get any worse? "His banishment could be complete if your consummation was blessed by the marriage rites, but it is not likely to..."

She took it back. It could and did get worse. No, her brain simply stuttered to the halt and she sat there, not breathing, not blinking and generally being stupefied, until she got light headed and nearly fainted. It would have been better if she did, though...

Marriage rites and consummation with Yoshimi...

No, just no. NOT AN OPTION!

She slowly got up and gathered her bag and thankfully the priest did not say anything more. She was about to leave, when he reached her and gave her the paper with the symbols she needed to learn to draw.

"You probably should practice that and come here for the progress check..." he offered quietly and she nodded.

 _Just my luck,_ she thought viciously. _Who did I cross in my past life that this is what I have to go through?_

For all that she felt sorry for herself, she really thought her choice was fait accompli. Yoshimi had to go. Absolutely. And she needed to help Jack to get back in control of himself. Both would be accomplished by this consummation process. Seemed so... so logical. But... But this was her doing something with practically another being and Jack... Would he know? Would he care? Would he forgive? Would he want to be with her afterwards? Would there even be an afterwards for them? What if they were wrong and the banishment failed? Would she be inadvertently hurting Jack more? Or, if the banishment worked and Yoshimi left Jack, but was forever tied to her? Ok, the last one she could take as the acceptable risk. Everything else... She was not sure.

There were no answers. At least not easy ones. Except that she knew she had to help him. Even like this. And if it ended up ruining things between them, then she could at least comfort herself knowing that she did it for him, for them...

She imagined life where Yoshimi was gone, but Jack was no longer with her. Because he could not deal with the solution that cured him, but required a sacrifice from her. Or because he felt betrayed that she did it with Yoshimi. Or because he realized all that he put them through and was feeling guilty...

That evening she cried in the shower, hiding the sobs and tears behind the water and hating her life at the moment.

* * *

Jack was pleased with the way things were at the moment. Chuck gently but firmly insisted that Kim suspend her cheerleading and karate practices for a while to recover fully. That meant that she would not be around Brett and other jocks. It also limited her time with Milton and Jerry. Of course, it also gave him more time to spend with her. He drove her to school and dropped her off. If he had practices, he'd make sure she was accounted for by checking on her by phone, until he could join her again. It became a thing for him to simply climb into her room and they spent early hours of the night, basking each others' company.

He managed to thwart some of the plotting by his so-called friends. Now that two weeks had passed since Kim's illness and she was constantly in his presence, he felt much more charitable towards the boys. They were worried about him and her. They were friends to both of them. So, it stood to reason that they would try to 'fix' something that was such a departure from the previous norm. It wasn't their fault that they failed to see, to comprehend, the depth of his feelings for Kim. The inevitability of them. So, yes, he felt charitable. They were merely human teens. And he warned off the santero and stole the English translation of Yoshimi's journal. He doubted that Miguel would try and interfere now and he was absolutely positive that Jerry was not too bright to remember any possible cures Miguel could concoct. As for Milton and his search... that ought to be hard. The boy would have to translate the old script and then try and trace his or Mariko's family. Given the fact that Mariko had only a sister, who would have changed her name if she married, his search would be long.

If there was a fly in the ointment for Jack it would be Kim's continued slow recovery from the poisoning. She was not as weak as in the first days, but she would sometimes just stop and take a deep breath as if to re-center herself. He knew she tried to hide or to downplay it, but he saw the slight unfocusing of her eyes, the need to stop and breath extra deep, and sometimes the unconscious hand brought to the left side of her chest. He cursed the santero and blamed himself for her illness, and could only hope that she would improve with each day.

In the meantime he set out to be the best boyfriend he could be. She never had to carry her books. Or drive anywhere. He brought her extra snacks to make sure her blood pressure never dropped too low and had programmed phone numbers of her parents and doctors.

He observed her. A lot. All the things he knew about her already: smart, loyal, brave, steadfast, funny, sarcastic, genuine... All of it was so obvious and so illuminated, as if she existed on the stage and the spotlight was on her all the time. It was amazing, and unbelievable, that she was with him. He felt unworthy and yet, like a selfish man he knew himself to be, he would not let go of her now.

He was careful with her, so very careful. And at the same time, he craved her like never before. It made their time together, spent in her bed especially interesting: satisfying and not, tender and passionate, quiet and, strangely peaceful.

The worst times were when he was away from her, which by now was only during practices for him or vocal lessons for her. Those times he felt like his own skin was too tight for him, his mind going in circles of Kim-mine-protect-always. He learn to focus through it and direct all this anxious energy into whatever physical activity he was doing. Both football game and karate improved a lot in a short amount of time. Especially his karate.

Today Jack was patiently waiting for Kim to call him after the vocal lessons. He was all for taking her there and just waiting until it was over, but Grace - and Kim - gave him such a loaded look that even he understood that it was verging on super controlling behavior. He was confident that he would have convinced Kim, but Grace was horrible at keeping anything to herself and would no doubt share her observations with everyone. Starting with the cheer squad. And the team. And the drama club. And the dance club. And before the day was over, it would be practically published on school's Facebook that Jack Brewer was an intensely controlling and jealous boyfriend. And he really did not want to give fodder to anymore of the rumors or worse, reasons for Brett to seek Kim again for some heart-to-heart. He did not think he would be able to stop just at two punches if Brett tried to interfere.

And he wanted to keep his violence-free streak if he could. Kim disapproved of violence and did not appreciate if she was the reason or the cause for any of it.

So he sat and waited. He moved restlessly in his chair and glanced at his watch for what felt like the hundredth time in the past hour. He was ready to just go there and... wait for her to emerge, like some sort of stalker. He gave a humorless laugh at that, knowing it wasn't really funny because it could well happen. His palm itched and he scratched it absently, noting the small mark Kim's bracelet had left when he'd gripped it so hard the second day of the failed santeria cure. The scab was gone, but it was probably going to leave a mark but one only he'd be able to see. It was like Kim unwittingly branded him. He looked at the tiny mark and saw the words 'Property of Kimberly Crawford' embedded into his skin. The unfunny thing about it was that Kim didn't even know and undoubtedly would not care to find out.

So he sat and stared at the mark, trying to figure out how to continue this perfect week further. He knew thinking straight around her was going to be an issue.

Finally, she called and the unconscious smile was already stretching his mouth. He imagined her smiling face and resisted the urge to run to her place immediately and instead tried to focus on the ways he can insinuate himself further in her life. He was almost out of luck when she told him that her Aunt Charlotte was visiting, but before he could even stop himself, he blurted, "Can I join you?"

There was a telling silence from her and he was rolling eyes at himself: wildly inappropriate did not even begin to cover. But he was saved from self-rumination, when she spoke, "Actually, you can. In fact, I insist."

* * *

Once Kim figured out that Jack was especially grouchy and unstable if there were other guys around her, she tried to avoid even the most innocuous interactions. It really bugged her - she was an independent girl and would not let some guy try and change her - but these were exigent circumstances. Yoshimi was making Jack violently unstable when jealousy was in the equation, and in the interest of not ruining his life with some sort of criminal record, she did her best to only deal with girls. The only exception were Milton and Jerry.

It was weird. She could tell that Jack was tense around them, but he never acted jealous or violent anymore. Still, his tenseness and some subtle questioning of anything they said to her lead her to believe that he actually did not trust them at all. That meant that she had to be clever about their "Banish Yoshimi" plan. It did not help that her parents all but forbade from any strenuous activities. The dojo was out. In school Jack was practically glued to her. So, she and the boys agreed to meet when she had vocal lessons.

It was also during those hours that she managed a visit to a health clinic. She avoided her own doctors, knowing that her parents would be informed. She wished she didn't have to go through that particular conversation with the nurse, but the woman never let her professionalism falter. The nurse explained to her all the options. Really, there were only two for her: Depo shot or Plan B. With pills she had to wait at least a month for the full effect. Of, course the nurse very dryly recommended that Kim use condoms anyway as the precaution against venereal diseases. Kim sarcastically wondered if there were some supernatural STDs and snorted aloud. She was in luck and got her Depo shot that would be effective for the next three months. At least she was not worried about that anymore.

Today's vocal lesson was spent with Milton and Jerry, who showed up agitated and spoke quickly interrupting each other.

"It is so frustrating. I found one Japanese History student to help me with the translation and it is a slow go. The old kanji script is not easy to work with and the language itself has changed," Milton sighed loudly and she could see his frustration at the problem that was not easily solved.

"Do we need to read the whole journal? If we only need the last names that is," she asked and Milton gave her the withering look.

"The naming conventions of the modern era do not exactly apply. There are clan names and nicknames and the hidden names..." Milton began, but she was not in the mood for the 18th-century Japanese society history lesson.

"Well, we know he called me Takanada. When he first saw me as me. Do you think it was Mariko's family name?" she offered to her distressed friend. Who now looked at her with bight eyes.

"This is brilliant Kim! I can start with that name and see what pops up! Still would have to continue looking for Yoshimi's family, in case the Takanada lead proves false... And there is, of course, the possibility that Yoshimi had no family left. Or if Mariko only had sisters," he actually pulled out his tablet with the 'possession' folder and started jotting notes.

She felt a little relieved and hoped this would yield results.

"That's great guys, but it would not help us at all," Jerry announced and she and Milton looked at him.

"Why is that?" Milton said just as Kim sighed, "What now?"

"Because Miguel says that Kim is tied to Jack now. If their bond goes, so does she. That's why she was so sick from the cure," he delivered it all very quietly and Kim just wanted to go to sleep and wake up in the alternative universe, where none of this was happening.

"How... Why... What?" she finally managed.

Milton looked very attentively at Jerry, "Tell me exactly what Miguel said. Word for word if you please."

"Well, first you need to know that Jack actually came to Miguel and threatened him after Kim landed in the hospital. Apparently scared some of the clients," Jerry huffed and Kim just closed her eyes in defeat.

"Please tell me he did not injure anyone and there won't be any charges pressed," she whispered.

"Nah, don't worry. Miguel is upset and feels guilty because he failed to recognize that Jack was possessed, not obsessed. And his clients think they saw the caballo in real life, so they would not do anything against the otherworldly being," she breathed in relief. So far, so good. "But, Miguel is worried that your connection to Jack is real and if something happens to him or the connection, you'd pay the price," Jerry finished and she had nothing else left in her to react anymore.

"All right. I guess you being sick when Jack was sick is an evidence of the connection to him, but to say your connection is equal to some soul bond to Jack... It is such a an extraordinary claim, it requires an extraordinary proof," Milton was his usual logical self and Kim was both pleased and disheartened by it. She needed answers, but, come on, they were discussing her life and death.

"Well, the way Miguel tells it, the cure was to sever the obsession. But, there wasn't an obsession, so instead the cure tried to cut the connection between Jack and Kim. And it nearly killed both of them because their connection is so strong."

He stopped for dramatic pause and Kim tried to process this fact that she was apparently connected to Jack by some means beyond normal human comprehension. Was she and him soulm...? No, it could not be.

"And we know that Yoshimi at least considered himself tied to his true love, right?" Jerry continued and she reluctantly nodded. "So, Miguel thinks that that night on Halloween, when you kissed him, or Jack, or them, and said that you were his, you forged a connection to Jack. And with your connection weakened, Jack is weakened and Yoshimi is in control. This is why he is so strong now."

"How... How can I be tied to both of them? I don't understand: my kisses can't be that magical," she tried to laugh self-deprecatingly, but only managed a near sob. She was already feeling faint, no doubt because her heart rate sputtered and started in uneven fits.

Milton looked at her, pale and breathing deeply against the faintness, her hands shaking just a little, and said in a measured and quiet tone, "Kim, I think it's the blood that you exchanged with him, the Halloween, and the words..." she did not even bother looking at him at this point and just shook her heard in denial. "Think on it, Kim. It has the making of the very crude and basic bonding ritual. You said you were his, and he said he was yours. Something was happening that night or at that place, some sort of focal point of the two worlds. Call it magic, but... With the blood and the kiss and the vow, it tied you to Jack."

They sat in silence processing everything. Kim wished dearly that Miguel was wrong, that Milton was wrong... But she remembered vividly that evening, the kiss, her saying that she was his and the swirling of the black and hazel... He, no Yoshimi, no, both of them told her that they were hers too. And that kiss... She felt it. Something moved, something changed then. She thought it was the unfinished business for Yoshimi that released him... Now, she suspected it was that bonding ritual that tied her to them...

 _Just my luck..._

Finally, Milton sighed and looked at Kim, "I think Miguel is right. You are already sick from having your connection to Jack weakened."

She startled at this and looked at her friend fearfully, "Kim, it is rather obvious. You are not as strong or as spry. You stop to take extra breath. You lost weight. You look faint sometimes and so pale..."

"But, then Jack should be weak too! Right?" She knew it answer to that even as she asked the question.

"I suspect Yoshimi is strong. And, I think, you are weak because you are taking the toll for both of you... Jack is fighting Yoshimi and your bond, however weak, helps him."

She knew they were right. And they were running out of time.

"So what is Miguel's solution to repairing the connection?" she asked, at this point suspecting what the answer would be.

"You need to consummate your bond to Jack..."

Yep, she was the luckiest girl in the world.

*Ofuda is protective ward against yurei. It s a writing and is drawn on host's forehead.

A/N: Still with me? I promise I have a plan for all this madness.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Minhertz got it, Kim does feel the pull towards both of them and it dictates some of reactions.

In this chapter, Kim is still reeling from the latest revelation and seeks normality, even if for a little bit. Jack's feeling calmer and is more in control than before.

* * *

The dinner with Kim's family, Aunt Charlotte and her daughter was... interesting. Jack did not expect the aunt to be kind of ... liberated. Charlotte, as she insisted he called her, was the younger sister to Chuck and was prone to talking as if she was part of the younger generation. She freely talked about her dating life and adventures and was generally inappropriate. Her daughter was obviously taking cues from her mother. Charlie (short for Charlotte) was about the same age as them and was quite forward.

And he would know, because when they were introduced to each other she gave him a long assessing look and winked. Right in front of Kim. It only went downhill from there. She was not restraining herself and actually asked Kim, with poorly disguised curiosity, if Kim already climbed this hunk 'cause I would, in one hot second.'

Jack looked around to make sure others were hearing it, but it seemed that they were used to this and he just pretended he didn't hear anything.

Kim was obviously aware and every now and then she would look at him and slyly roll her eyes. At some point when Charlotte went to place a call and Charlie left to the bathroom, not before 'accidentally' sliding her foot over his leg, he finally had enough.

"Your cousin and aunt are quite a pair of characters," he managed to keep it polite and the responding groans, eye rolls, and abrupt laughter from the Crawfords were telling.

"Sorry that you have to go through this, but she is even worse when there are no new people to distract her," Kim said eventually. "Then she talks about all the details of her sex life and asks about mine. At least this way she bothers you and not me."

He nodded along and thought that he'd gladly sit through uncomfortable dinners with any number of aunts and cousins if Kim so wished.

He felt so protective of her, but this feeling changed the tone. He still was ready to eliminate anyone and anything that was a threat to her, but he also wanted her to be happy and content. It's strange really: this feeling was so delicate and fragile, something that he hid in his heart, but at the same time it was fierce and determined. He would gladly suffer more than just inappropriate cousins to make sure she was happy. He smiled at her understandingly and she smiled back.

 _She is quite pretty today, isn't she? This yellow dress looks lovely on her. He knew she wore it for him and he really, really liked it. His Kim..._

Charlie returned, giving him a sour look, and he had to wonder what was that about. It occurred to him later that she left for bathroom thinking he would follow. As soon as he realized it, he moved a little away from the table in case she decided to play footsie with him again.

Eventually the dinner was over and he had to say goodbye then.

"Sorry, Charlie is sleeping in my room, so you can't come," she whispered when they hugged and he nodded into her neck.

"Sweet dreams, Kim," he said to her and caught a look from Charlie. "Will you be ok with her?"

Kim froze a little and then relaxed and laughed softly, "oh, don't worry about me. I can handle her. Have been doing this all my life," she said confidently and he smiled back.

"I always worry, but I know you can handle yourself."

And it was the truth: she could. He knew that. He just didn't want her to have to deal with any unpleasantness.

That night he managed half a night of sleep without nightmares. Kim, of course, was in his dreams, but they were happy scenes of their time together. Sometime during a dream of Kim in his bed, looking fetching in her yellow dress, the dream shifted. They were still locked in embrace, him above her, but it was like a cloud hovered over them and everything became full and gray. Kim turned pale and he was caught between feeling passionate and afraid. He stopped what he was doing to look at her, to ask her what was happening, but she pulled him down for another kiss and he could not deny her this.

This was different. He felt hot and cold and sensitized and he was moving on instinct, his tongue delving deep, until the slight scrape of the teeth brought the copper taste to his mouth. He drank it in...

Blood... No... Not again...

He pulled back, horrified, and saw her bleeding lip once more.

"Nonononono...please, don't go," he was begging the pale and slowly disappearing girl in his arms.

"I have to. It's for us. It has to be done, " she said barely above whisper and he felt the truth of her statement, even if made no sense.

"Then take me with you. Please... I don't think I can go on without you..." And he believed it. Every word of it.

He watched in morbid fascination as her blonde locks changed into dark silk tresses even as her face grew paler and more translucent. He begged, pleaded, and demanded for it to stop. She gave him a wan little smile and he pressed his mouth to hers, desperate and needy... No, not needy. Hopeless, anguished, forlorn. This kiss was different yet again. He felt like his entire being centered at that point of contact, their hands clasped together, fingers entwined, and he held on to that feeling for as long as he could. He could not tell how long it lasted, but he could feel that she was fading, as her lips became less firm, until all he was holding and touching was just air.

He screamed. And roared. And cursed. And shouted into the suddenly dark space around him, until his throat was raw and he felt nothing...

He fell out of bed, sweaty and so scared of what he felt, that he prayed for this night to be over soon. He knew he could not go to Kim's, but the need to see her was overwhelming.

Before he could go anywhere or do anything, he heart stumbling footsteps and soon his mother was peeking into his room.

"You ok, baby?" she whispered, blinking against the sleep in her eyes.

"Just a bad dream. Sorry I woke you up," he managed to say.

"Must have been quite a dream... Was it about Kim again?" she said more awake now.

He did a double take at this and she just gave him a small smile, "You had a few of those recently."

She did not push for more, but he felt compelled to answer anyway. It must have been a 'mom' talent: to make your wayward teens answer without even asking a question. "I... Yes. A few," was all he could say.

"Are you guys all right?" she asked gently and he startled at this.

"No. I mean, yes, we are fine. It's just... She was sick so badly and doctors don't know what is wrong with her and now I have this nightmares that she is... that she has..." he actually shuddered, unable to finish his thought.

"Oh, baby..." his mom crooned and pulled him into a hug. And he went into it willingly, soaking this unconditional support.

"I don't know what I would... I don't know if I could..." he whispered to her, memories of the despair he just felt so strong. He wondered if she thought that he was being melodramatic, that she would think he was being a typical teen and overdramatizing everything.

"Shhh..." his mom soothed. "You may not feel this way yet, but she would be fine. She is strong and healthy and this is 21st century. People don't die from undiagnosed diseases. She has parents and friends and you to watch over her. I am sure it would be fine." She finished and then gave a small quiet huff of laughter.

"What?"

"Just... Something Liz and I talked about recently," he looked at his mom curiously, prompting her to continue. "She and I already decided where the wedding is going to be."

He must have looked shocked to her - and he must say it worked in that it pushed the nightmare into the background - that she laughed again, "Oh, it's what us, old people, do. We plan your lives for you. But, in all honesty, you and Kim are just so cute together. We suspected you'd be even when you were freshmen, but now that you are actually dating, it's reaching the unbearably cure levels. Ahh, to be young and in love..." she trialed off.

He was silent. Eventually she left him with a soft kiss on a forehead, but he still sat there mulling over what she said.

Did he love Kim?

* * *

Kim was still reeling from all that she was told and figured out herself. As much as she wanted to deny and wish it wasn't so, her dreams and current affliction proved to her that the theory on her bond to both Yoshimi and Jack was very plausible. It was why she saw Mariko die. It was why she saw Jack being poisoned. It was why there was that red string in her dream. It was why she was so sick herself...

And it was probably why she was not getting any better. The swooning, the unsteady heart beat, the need for air...

Solution, such as it was proposed by Miguel, to repair her bond to Jack would also sever her bond to Yoshimi by banishing one of her soulmates.

She shuddered thinking of Yoshimi in such terms. But if she were honest with herself - and she could not afford to be anything else - she did feel for him. That night on Halloween, his magnetic and intense eyes, the kiss that started so passionate, the undeniable love and desire he exuded... And now, when he was primarily in charge, he was forward and confident and... so romantic and caring... Yeah, she felt that connection to Yoshimi. It was there for sure. It may be only an echo of his emotions that she felt, but it was enough to be noticeable.

And then there was Jack, her everlasting crush and best friend. Funny, caring, smug, not afraid to be silly, and so handsome. What she felt for him was not easily defined, but this feeling had so many facets and so much depth, she could not deny that it was long past the point of crush and well into 'helplessly in love' territory. And she remembered vividly how she felt after her nightmare about him dying... She truly thought her heart stopped and there was a moment of incomprehension as if the world, life, everything stopped making sense. Like she had no place in this strange world where there was no Jack and his warmth... So, yeah, she knew there was a connection to Jack as well...

And it was anybody's guess as to what would happen to her in the aftermath of this game of arithmetic of consummation, adding to one bond and subtracting another...

She wanted to be optimistic. It wasn't in her nature to be morose, but as her luck hasn't been all that great lately, she morbidly expected the worst outcome. And she was scared. Very much so...

She left her friends and went home, hoping to avoid thinking about any of it and just pretend that she was a normal girl with normal life and normal problems and nothing particularly interesting happening.

And at least in this, fate gave her a freebie: her Aunt Charlotte and her daughter, Kim's cousin, Charlie were in town.

Charlie was an enormous pain in the neck and her constant passive aggressive shtick was getting old fast. Kim selfishly brought Jack to the dinner, because she knew that was the only way to prove to Charlie that she did in fact have a boyfriend. Of course, about five minutes after they sat down, she started worrying what Jack/Yoshimi would do if provoked. Because Charlie went out of her way to flirt with Jack and to passively disparage Kim.

But to her immense surprise and relief, it was as if the old Jack was there. He was charming and funny, but never anything less than proper and respectful. He only let his curiosity slip once and called both Charlottes 'quite a pair of characters' and she snorted because it was such an understatement. But thankfully he just nodded at her explanation and bore Charlie's obnoxious attitude with all the poise of someone well-mannered and much more mature. She was impressed and wanted to reward him in the most obvious ways, but had to satisfy herself with just a kiss on a cheek.

When she got home, Charlie went on about Jack and all the things that she thought was wrong with him. She figured that Jack's polite and unmistakable refusal to return the flirting irked her cousin, so she was negging Jack in retaliation.

"How long have you dated? Couple of months?" at Kim's nod she went on. "What happened to the quarterback? Could not keep him and had to settle for a basketball player?" How on Earth did Charlie think she was subtle?

"Jack is actually on the football team now. Wide receiver and the replacement quarterback," she kind of didn't care about that right now, but Charlie did.

"Oh, so he is joining the ranks of jocks? Well, you know how they are. Players, all of them. And Jack would be no different. But, I guess, you are used to this by now. You already failed with one quarterback..." Kim almost snorted at this and smothered her laughter. Any other time she would have bristled at this and came back with some snarky comeback, but this was so not her problem right now. If only her cousin knew... She didn't think Jack could cheat on her if he tried now. Not with their connection and not with Yoshimi right there with him.

"See, Charlie, you normally would be correct, but Jack is my best friend. And I know him quite well. We were friends even when we dated other people. He would not, could not, betray me like that," she delivered quietly and her cousin had nothing to say back in the face of this conviction. "Let's go to sleep, Charlie. I am beat."

She lay in bed mulling over the revelations of the day. She would have to sleep with Jack, bearing ofuda, while the burial rites are performed. This would ensure that Yoshimi was banished forever and did not come back to possess Jack again. This part was straightforward. She also would have to sleep with Jack to strengthen their bond that was almost severed and was causing her, and possibly Jack, to be sick. Again, it was straightforward. What she was not clear about whether banishing Yoshimi would sever their bond and make her... ill? worse? Was it even possible to lose one's soulmate and survive? Would her bond to Jack keep her alive? If it didn't, what would happen to Jack then? Would he become sick? worse?

No one at this point realized the full extent of the problem and Kim could not imagine burdening anyone with this knowledge. Jack and Yoshimi were out of question: neither of them would want her to come to any peril. Milton, while logical, was also her friend. He would try and find some alternative solution, but they were running out of time as it was. She was already getting sicker with her bond to Jack being so weak, and with Yoshimi in charge, it was getting worse. And then Milton would blame himself. She did not think Jerry could even comprehend the issue at hand, let alone try and solve it, but she knew he cared about her and Jack too. And he would feel guilty for causing the weakened bond in the first place, because of the misapplied santero's cure.

She could not sleep, her thoughts going in circle and she was glad when at some point of the night, her phone buzzed with the new message. It was Jack. He apparently could not sleep and was just checking on her. By this point she knew what it meant: he had a bad dream and wanted to be reassured that she was fine. Her heart lurched a little at this further evidence of his connection to her, of her importance to him. She could not even decide which 'he' she was thinking about: both Yoshimi and Jack equally were tied to her and cared about her.

She texted back, saying she was awake and unable to sleep too. They traded messages - silly and light-hearted, both of them avoiding the reasons why they were awake - and the night flew quickly. At some point Jack simply texted that he would be coming to pick her up soon and she realized that it was already morning and she simply texted a laughing face emoji. He sent back a kissing face with words : C Y, love.

Her heart lurched again and she realized that it wasn't even a question anymore for her: she loved him, Jack, and she would do it for him.

Whatever the cost.


	21. Chapter 21

Somehow the knowledge that she loved Jack made Kim calmer. She knew she'd take that step if it meant to help him get rid of Yoshimi. She didn't worry about Yoshimi being bound to her even stronger than before. For one, she didn't feel as strongly about him. Whatever heady-ness she felt, were the projections of his feelings. And she loved Jack. That should and would trump whatever bond that was established on Halloween between her and Yoshimi.

There was a slight chance that she would the one to be 'subtracted' from the equation, but it could also be that Yoshimi would simply find peace and she and Jack would be left alone. And she was willing to take that chance.

And, she might have been reading into things, but she felt like Jack was there with Yoshimi more often since her trip to the hospital. It was as if that moment of fear for her life, which both of them felt in the same measure, unified them. But afterwards, as the quiet life and the constant contact went on, Yoshimi subsided and she saw more and more of Jack. If just spending time together helped to strengthen Jack to influence behavior, then the consummation would certainly help him fight Yoshimi.

Her health, though, was putting them on a tight schedule. She had more and more of those episodes and now there were new symptoms. She was losing weight. Noticeably. She was weaker physically, too. And the heart rate jumps were so drastic now, she had to stop moving and close her eyes against encroaching dark spots just to catch her bearings.

All they needed now were the offspring of Yoshimi or Mariko and they could proceed with the consummation. She waited patiently as Milton and his History student friend tracked down the Takanada family. Apparently, Mariko only had one sister and they had to rely on temple records to see if her marriage rites were performed there. They were in luck: she did and they knew which last name to track.

City records, digitized as they were now, were only as good as the original papers. Kim couldn't join Milton on this fact-finding mission, as she has her hands full with the hyper attentive and overprotective boyfriend.

Her ban on the physically intense activities continued as she was not getting better. In fact, she was worse. The uneven heartbeat and the dipping blood pressure were more than making her woozy. She was faint to the point of nausea and dark spots in her vision. Despite eating more than she had before - and Jack was vigilant about her eating - she was losing weight and she could tell that her strength and stamina weren't as robust as before. She suspected it had everything to do with the bond between her and Jack. She was sicker than him, because she had no spirit to draw powers from. It had to be it. Oh, she really didn't have a lot of time.

Milton came one day subdued and quiet and she feared that the trail was lost. But this was not the case. Records were unclear, as the family was in the internment camp and their first names were Anglicized. Kim immediately understood Milton's mood. That was an somber hour for the three friends.

Eventually, the name reappeared and Kim could not believe the twist of fate. Stacy Uri was the descendant of Mariko's sister. The closest to a family they could find.

It would seem that time has come to do what needed to be done.

Next vocal lesson was spent with Stacy after she and Milton sat through yearbook committee meeting.

They played it perfectly. Milton and Kim told the girl that their city history project was about the Japanese Americans in the area and that they found this amazing and strange legend of Yoshimi. And how it was based on enough of real facts that the priests wanted to exorcise the yurei to let him rest and bring peace to the temple he haunted.

Stacy was taken with what she thought was a romantic and sad story. From there it was an easy step to convince her to participate in the ceremony. She told her parents, who must not have kept up with the family lore and just thought it was great that their daughter was reconnecting with her heritage.

It was all arranged now: Stacy was on hand, priest was ready with the ceremony, Kim learned to draw ofuda (passable, as the priest put it) and she was reasonably assured that she would not get pregnant from the consummation.

She had planned to have a date with Jack in one, when their parents went on a winery tour.

She had a detached sort of feeling that she was walking into a trap and, as a last ditch effort, she went to see the santero.

Her and Jerry were in the back yard, Miguel took one look at her and shook his head, "Jerry, leave us alone please."

Jerry looked between her and Miguel several times and ultimately just nodded and left with, "I'll chat with Marisol. See if she has any more matches."

The man looked at her with his dark eyes and once again Kim felt like thousands of people were watching her, the gaze was so heavy and piercing.

"Why are you here, my child?" he finally spoke as if he was not aware of her situation. Or maybe it was an important protocol for her to ask him something specific?

She mulled over what to ask - so many things run through her head - but she settled on the most important, "What happens if one of the bonded pair... dies?" she stumbled over that last word, still grappling with the notion of the otherworldly ... entities exacting their vengeance on the mere humans.

"Why do you say so? Neither of you have to..." he left it unfinished. "If you do as Jerry told you, as I tell you, if you unite with your bondmate then there should not be a problem. In fact, it would help Jack to expel the spirit."

"The spirit considers me his bondmate," she whispered to him, without looking up from the ground where a small wishbone was lying by her foot.

"Are you su...?" he began and she looked up then and he looked into her eyes. Really, really looked. "How...?" he exhaled in an awed whisper.

She almost snorted: she was indeed so lucky as to be a rarity even for those, who dealt with otherworldly matters.

"On Halloween night, when Yoshimi came to possess Jack first, he wanted a kiss from me," she began her sad story. "And I gave it to him, thinking it would complete his business here in this realm. But..." she trailed off unsure how to describe the angry and demanding kisses of the ghost. "But he was forceful and there was blood exchanged..." she saw santero's eyes widen and he mumbled something in rapid Spanish, although she did catch words like _sangre_ and _magia._ She waited until he was done and he motioned for her to continue, "My friend tried to distract him and the spirit got mad. I interfered before anything violent could occur and told him he did not have to worry about others separating us, because I was... I was... I was his." She took a long pause, "And he said he was mine and then we kissed again."

She sat silent in front of the man, feeling tired like she has not slept for million days.

"And I guess that was when the spirit left Jack," santero's words were a statement.

"Yes, and apparently, it came back again. Only we did not notice or realized, because it still looked like Jack," she whispered brokenly the unvoiced guilt wrecking her again. How did she miss it? How?

"Do not blame yourself, my child. This is unusual situation and you are not equipped to recognize it. Even I, who is familiar with these notions, missed the signs the first time I saw Jack." He was quiet for a moment, "So you were bonded to both of them that night."

"Yes," she said miserably. "Only, I don't think I am Yoshimi's mate, not really. I am a stand-in for his lost love and he won't let go now because she was taken from him by violent means." Once she started talking about he problem, the whole problem, she seemingly could not stop, "The priest at the temple told me the story and Yoshimi and Mariko. She was married off to another man and was unhappy. They, she and Yoshimi, wanted to run away together, but her family found out and her dad poisoned her," she said in a rush afraid that emotions would make her cry and then she would not be able to stop.

Miguel took her trembling hands and squeezed them in reassurance, "So, when you were sick from my bad cure, the spirit became violent..." he shook his head and spoke in Spanish again, by the looks of it remonstrating himself. "I am so sorry, my child, that I caused you this pain."

"And I am sorry you had to deal with pissed off ghost. I know he threatened you..." Miguel made a motion as if to waive it off, but she continued, "The Yoshimi of the past, he... he k-k-killed Mariko's father." She saw santero flinch minutely, as if realizing belatedly the danger he was in. "He went insane with grief. And her family then cursed him to never find peace."

"Curses of that kind and that old... What can be done to break it?"

"The priest at the temple said they need Mariko's family to help perform the burial rites. I guess their participation will act as the forgiveness..." she stopped, gathering her strength to finish the important part. "But it is not enough. Yoshimi is determined and only consummation of his love with his intended would bring him true peace."

She sat and waited for Miguel to connected all the dots that she herself was fearing. He was silent, his expressive face now was just blank and she worried if it was too much and there was no options, no solutions anymore.

"You must consummate with the spirit to get him to leave and you must consummate with Jack to strengthen your bond," he finally recapped. "Why are you here, my child?" he repeated his original question.

"I... I... If the weakened bond causes so many problems, then what would happen if the bond is severed?" she stuttered out. "Because Yoshimi and I are bondmates now and if our connection is severed after the consummation and he is banished..."

"You are afraid that you'd go too..." he finished for her and she sniffled loudly, unable to hold her tears anymore.

"Yes. And then what happens to Jack? Will he wither and die and become a vengeful ghost, who haunts Seaford High like some Phantom of the Opera? And if we don't do anything, Yoshimi will get stronger and will siphon everything out of me and then we would still have the same problem: one bondmate dealing with the loss of another," she practically sobbed out and was thankful when Miguel passed her a tissue.

"I understand you concern now," he spoke and went to the chiminea and lit a fire in it. He threw some herbs and looked through smoke as if seeing something invisible.

"I know you said that if there was no object of obsession..." she began. "And it isn't an obsession, but I am worried now that this supernatural triangle could only be resolved if there is no object of love," she finally finished.

Miguel actually winced at her words and looked apologetic, not that Kim cared at the moment.

"Yes, subtraction is easiest. But may not be the most pleasant. And in this case, not advisable," he was silent for a long time and she was quiet too. There was not much to tell but she felt better having shared her problem with someone else.

At last, Miguel looked away from the flame and smoke and turned to her, with the look of grim determination.

"I believe there is something we can do," she perked up and looked from the wishbone she picked from the ground at the man. "Subtraction is easiest, but its counterpart is addition. I believe there are two options available to you. Mind you, nothing is quite typical about your situation and all such matters are individualized, but..." he trailed off as if weighing his words carefully.

"You can add love to the equation," he said and she startled at that.

"Wouldn't that be redundant? We are in this pickle because of the love so strong that it transcended time and space and even realms," she said just a little bit sarcastically.

"No, my child. I was talking about making Yoshimi love you and then leaving you peacefully as your true mate is Jack," Miguel told her quietly and she nearly choked on the next sniffle.

"Nnno way!" she said firmly.

"Why is it so far-fetched to you? Love is magic all by itself," he said and she really did want to roll her eyes at him, but refrained. "This spell that kept him from going fully into the netherworld was a revenge spell cast out of hatred. The opposite of hate is love. You have to get the spirit in question to fall in love with you." Miguel paused and gave her a pointed look. "The _real_ you. Not as the stand-in, but yourself. Love will cancel out the hate."

Kim blinked. "I don't understand."

"Right now, the bond, one-sided as it may be, is pulling you both closer together-"

"He is feeling some sort of tendré for me? As in, the 'Kim' me?" she asked in surprise.

"La folie à deux," commented Miguel knowingly.

 _A madness shared by two._

Kim swallowed hard, not sure what to do with this newest information. The thought of Yoshimi having feelings for her, not as a stand-in, but for her own self, made her very uncomfortable. She moved restlessly.

"If what you're saying is true and he's effected by this bond-" Kim swallowed hard. "Then isn't the being in love bit a moot point? It should be making him fall in love."

"It's making him feel possessive of you," Miguel corrected her. "It isn't love, although, the two can overlap sometimes."

"Okay, so if Yoshimi can fall in love with me, and not just feel possessive then what, wouldn't our bond strengthen?" Kim spoke slowly.

"Love defeats hate, balance is restored, the curse that keeps him ties to this plane is broken, and he, if he loves you, will let you go to be with your true love," Miguel told her seriously.

Kim ran her hand through her hair distractedly, not looking at the santero. She never thought of Yoshimi other than tragic and dangerous entity, ruining her and Jack's life. She never stopped to think of seeking peace for him for his sake. This was all new territory for her. "How am I meant to know when he is falling for me? He is in Jack. He is Jack. How do I distinguish between the two of them?" she asked in frustration. "Our emotions are being manipulated, how can either one of us know what is real and what isn't?"

Miguel nodded sympathetically. "It's a tough one, alright. I didn't say this was going to be easy."

"There has to be another way," she said urgently. "What you're asking is impossible."

"It's not impossible," he protested, "just incredibly, incredibly unlikely."

"Yes, it is. But... Look, you've seen Yoshimi when he was your opponent. And you must have realized what a violent, hard and selfish man he is," she looked santero directly in the eye. Eventually he nodded his agreement. "And I have seen him as a paramour. Let me tell you: he is the same violent, determined, jealous and selfish man, who takes what he believes is his. He may have started as gentle beloved to his Mariko, but these years being cursed and restless made him insane. Even if falls in love with me - and I don't think we have that kind of time here - he would not let go. He would stick around. And, on a personal note, I don't want an obsessive and willful spirit falling in love with me. Not an option."

He was silent and watching her with quiet interest and respect. She did not blink and stared right back. Finally he said, "I figured it was a long shot."

"Good. What's the second option?"

"We must summon the spirit of Mariko."

Kim just closed her eyes in defeat. _Here I thought making Yoshimi fall for me was impossible._


	22. Chapter 22

The latest nightmare, and his own wretched despair that he felt then, were forever stuck in his mind now. Previous bad dreams were like memories and fears, disguised in the somnambulist landscapes, but this one... It felt different. Kim wasn't saying her usual line about not being his. No, she said she was doing it for them, for him...

It must have been the worry over her continually deteriorating health. No matter she tried to hide it with makeup and layers of closing, He saw that she was thin - too thin - and tired. As if she was ill with some serious disease and it was ravaging her from inside. Oh, he wanted an easy answer or rather an easy target. Like it was the horrible cure and it effects. His poor girl...

But it was not the case. If it was, he would be feeling it too. But he was feeling great despite the bad dreams and less sleep than normal.

She was quiet too now. Sometime after the visit of the two Charlottes, she has gotten quieter. Sometimes she would get lost in thoughts that made her face troubled and he went out of his way to cheer her up and make her laugh. He was successful most of the times. She would give him a small smile, wrinkle her nose if he was 'boy-gross' and rejoin the conversation. Those moments her eyes in him lingered like she wanted to memorize everything about him.

It didn't make him feel better.

Their times at night were less passionate than before. He still very much wanted everything, wanted to touch her and kiss her everywhere. But she was more tired now and would more often than not fall asleep in his shoulder and he just lay there, keeping vigil over her...

Jack was having the most frustrating day ever. Today was yet another practice with the football team and he was stuck as the game was approaching and coach was forever pounding on them to be in the best shape. He didn't mind because it gave him the outlet for the restless and combative energy that was lurking just underneath the surface all the time now. A few hours of punishing work out was great.

But today was particularly grueling. Coach was on him all the time and Brett was passing the ball to him almost all the time. He ran around so much, he actually felt like sitting down at some point. Then, when he finally left lockers after the shower, he was stuck in the group of players and cheerleaders, who were discussing and planning some sort of party. He would have ignored it all, but Donna and Lindsay attached themselves to him and he simply could not leave without physically moving either girl. He was thoroughly tempted, especially when Lindsay said something about his missing girlfriend, who 'still looked sick, poor thing.' He did not believe the fake concern one bit, but would not brawl with girls. At some point he realized that it was a ploy by Donna to get at Brett - the girl really wasn't subtle - so he relaxed and allowed this to go on for a little longer. If Brett was with someone, then he would not be panting after Kim.

By the time he got out, it was late enough that he had to so straight home, grab dinner and finish some of the school work. He texted Kim every now and then, but he was busy and so was she. Finally, after he was done with work and his parents fell asleep, he made his way to Kim's house happy that he would be with her again.

* * *

Miguel's bombshell about summoning Mariko changed the whole game plan. They talked, as much as they could about the process, which was unpredictable and filled with with "I guess" and "I hope." At some point Kim had to run back to pretend that she just had a vocal lessons, but they agreed that she would come back as soon as she could.

She also needed to talk to the Shinto priest some more. If Mariko was here, would it make a difference to the proceedings?

For once she felt optimistic.

The basics of the plan now were to summon Mariko and let her 'occupy' Kim. Once Mariko was in - and they hoped she'd be not belligerent and peaceful - she was to be informed of all that occurred and seek her help in making Yoshimi leave. Unspoken was the understanding that Mariko would consummate her bond with Yoshimi and then they both would finally join the netherworld.

There were many uncertainties. Would Miguel be successful in reaching Mariko after so many years? Would she cooperate? Kim wasn't sure, but she wondered if Mariko would oppose the consummation because of her old fashioned views? She may not have been the Japanese history major, but she knew that mores of 200 years ago were far more conservative even in Western cultures. She figured that it probably wasn't an obstacle, not really. But it may be something that needed discussion with the priest. At this point he would have had more conversations about sex with her than her own dad.

Vocal lessons could only stretch so far and Kim could not fake feminine needs too many times before even dense boys got suspicious. And neither Milton nor Jerry could try and come up with ways to keep Jack busy without making him suspicious.

Kim sat at the lunch table and wondered how to detain him in school and sneak in some time to run to the temple and to Miguel's. Jack went to grab his food and to bring her fruit. She was pushing her own food around aimlessly when Grace plopped down next to her.

"Kim, I need your help!" She said dramatically and Kim perked up, happy to be distracted even if for a moment.

"Oh? What do you need?"

"It's Jerry!" Grace exclaimed. "How many hints do I have to drop before he asks me out?" She blurted out and, seeing Kim's expression, continued, "No, don't answer that."

"Oooook... So, do you want to me to pass a note from you to him? That would be very clear and even he wouldn't miss the message," Kim told her friend, laughter already bubbling inside.

"Kim... I need help, not sarcasm."

"Ok, ok. Sorry. So, what is it you need?"

"I don't know!" Grace practically wailed. "Maybe you can ask him about it, but like, subtly?"

"Ask him if he likes you?" Kim clarified.

Grace nodded and Kim pondered the situation. She wanted to help her friend, but she had hard time being alone with Jerry as it was and she doubted this was be phone conversation. If only she could guarantee that Jack wasn't with her all the times...

"Ok, I'll talk to him, but I need your help too," she began and Grace was already nodding along. "Jack has been super protective ever since my hospital visits."

"Uhmmm, yeah, Kim. No kidding. The boy's like your shadow with a black belt."

"That's part of the issue. I can't talk to Jerry about you if Jack is there, you know? Guys would rather die than talk about feelings, especially if their guy friends are around." Grace nodded again. "So, I need you to distract Jack long enough after practice that I can have my _tête–à–tête_ with Jerry."

"Done." Grace delivered determined and Kim had a flickering of concern, but 'needs, must.'

"Just make sure he does not realize that that's what's going on, ok?"

"Kim, trust me, he won't know a thing. All I have to do is drop a hint to Donna..." both girls had identical scowls at the mention of the head cheerleader, "... that Brett was looking at her. She then would go out her way to flirt with him. He would miss a pass or something and then coach would be all over him. Then I'll say something about the alternate QB being better at this..." Kim gave a knowing look at this point. "Exactly. Brett would go out of his way to prove himself and Jack would be occupied the entire practice. He would be tired for sure."

Grace stopped to take a breath of air and a sip of her soda. "Then, after the practice is over, I would mention in Donna's hearing that Brett is still hang up on you," Kim looked at her friend with huge eyes.

"What? Why? No, I don't want them to fight or something," she pleaded with Grace.

"Relax. You know Donna. She just would try and make Brett jealous by hitting on Jack. He'll be stuck for at least another hour while she circles around him like shark."

"Oh..."

"Yeah. By the time he leaves school he'd be too tired and too freaked out by all that Donna would unleash on him, he would not want to talk to another human being until the next day."

She had to give it to her friend - it was solid plan.

She left school with Jerry in tow and they made a mad dash to Miguel's. He was gathering all the necessary ingredients for the ritual and they needed to be on hand in case there was something was missing. Once she arrived, flushed from excitement and breathing deep against the light-headedness, Miguel simply passed her a cup of some drink. She looked at it weary.

"No offense Miguel, but last time I got super sick from one of your cures, and I didn't even drink it," she only half-joked.

"It is not a cure, Kimberly. It is a restorative. Nothing dangerous and severe: just some herbs that are meant to strengthen your health. You have been wasting away and this would help a little."

She took it apprehensively and drank a small sip. It was like sweet ginger and spice tea, but somehow it felt more substantial than that, and it was absolutely delicious. She did not even notice that she drank the whole thing, it was so tasty. By the time she finished the cup, her faintness went away and she realized to her dismay that she has been basically living in a slight fog all this time. Suddenly she could see clearly, feel clearly, hear clearly. Her hear rate evened out and it was as if she was back to her usual self pre-cure. Wow, this stuff was good. Feeling physically better made her feel better in general and she was optimistic about everything.

Until Miguel spoke, that is.

"I will call upon orichas to locate her. Cooperation of gods takes some effort. And price," he said and Kim looked at him carefully.

"Price or sacrifice?"

"Could be both. I will use my blood to call the orichas. But you are the supplicant..."

"Oh," she felt a little faint. "OK, if I have to."

"We also need something of Mariko's," he said and she closed her eyes in consternation.

"Miguel, she was dead for over 200 years! Where am I going to find something of hers now?"

"I understand, but we need something that would act like an anchor and a beacon to her spirit. It does not have to be anything of hers really. Just something that was important to her," santero continued.

She kept thinking of anything that could serve this purpose, when Jerry offered with a chuckle, "Well, Yoshimi is important to her."

"And he is in Jack now. I don't think we want to alert Yoshimi just yet about this plan," she shut him down.

But this did make her think about Yoshimi and his undying love for Mariko... "Would Yoshimi's journal work? I can't read it, but I am sure there is stuff about her. He was clearly into her. There was even a portrait of her that he drew."

"It might work. She might recognize it and be drawn to the image rendered by her beloved."

She wasn't so sure their plan was all that solid now. With so many 'maybes' and 'might bes' but this was her best bet right now.

Next she ran to the temple, where she felt like at home by this point. The priest thought she was here to set the date for their plan, but she completely surprised him when she blurted the part about summoning Mariko's spirit into the living realm.

"Are you sure, Kimberly, that this is what you want to do?" the priest asked her cautiously. "Spirits, they could be vengeful and not all of them like to be yanked like this back in the world of physical suffering. Mariko may not be as cooperative as you hope she'd be..."

"I understand, I do. But I have to try this. Otherwise there are chances of Yoshimi sticking around forever and I am not sure how much longer my body can go on like this," she said miserably. This was the first time she admitted to anyone, even to herself, that she was scared. So very scared for herself and for Jack. As was the habit now, she cried in front of the priest, who just patted her hand and gave her a handkerchief.

"There, there, Kimberly. I understand. But she might no longer feel like human do. Our lives here in the society, our conventional mores and wisdoms, they may not apply there any more."

"But she still cares about Yoshimi! She has to!" Kim was reaching her limits and this was her last resort. The priest must have sensed her desperation.

"We'll try your way. How much do you trust this man to summon the spirit?"

She blew her nose and answered, "He is a priest of another religion, where they believe in communing with gods through divine possession. He knows about summoning. He was the one, who tried to cure what he thought was Jack's obsession..." she didn't finish, but the priest knew about her near death and nodded in understanding.

"I must warn you again. Mariko lived very long time ago. That period of Japanese culture and society was structured around family life. Families were the basic units of society with a collective continuity independent of any individual life. Members of the household were expected to subordinate all their own interests to that of the _family._ The choice to remain single was the greatest crime a man could commit. Romantic love was believed to be an aberration and man were to seek sexual gratification outside of marriage. Yoshimi and Mariko went against a lot of traditions when they fell in love..."

Kim swallowed uneasy, but remembered Pride and Prejudice and how Charlotte did not look for romantic love, but stability and relative contentment. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that, while Yoshimi could have been swayed to consummate the bond without marital rites, Mariko might not be so inclined," he told her quietly and she felt faint again. Miguel's restorative was no longer working.

"What...? No, you can't mean..." she began whispering.

"Yes, I do," the priest said and his words - an echo of wedding vows - made Kim lower her head between her knees and try not to barf. "If everything works as planned, Mariko and Yoshimi will marry, consummate, and leave this realm."

"Yeah, but for all intents and purposes, Jack and I will be married..." she barely finished it and actually dry heaved at this point. She used the poor hankie the priest gave her to wipe her mouth clean. "Sorry..."

"Kim, I understand it is highly unusual, but without a marriage license, the religious Shinto ceremony from 19th century would not have legal effect..." he began, but stopped when she interrupted.

"But I am bonded to Jack! Whether it is legal or not, we would be... would be... united somehow," she said unhappy and twisted the piece of cloth in her hand. Her fingers came away bloody and she hastily checked the handkerchief. There were small blood stains on it and she lost all the vigor she just felt. She was getting sicker and the restorative only could do so much.

"I am afraid, my child, that you are out of time."

Yes, that's what she thought too.

A/N: almost there, people.


	23. Chapter 23

Everything was set. Kim and santero arrived at he temple early in the morning. She told Jack that she had to have a brunch with her family, but that she would meet him later.

The plan was for Miguel to summon Mariko and they all would explain everything to her. Then, if she was ok with it, she was to occupy Kim. By this point Jerry and Jack would be showing up to participate in the martial arts presentation. They hoped that seeing Mariko, hearing her, would make Yoshimi surge to the surface and then the two spirits would just interact with each other. If all went well - and Kim hoped the priest was wrong - they would retreat for the final step of the process. If the priest was right, with the help of Ben, the History student friend of Milton's, they would recreate the Shinto traditional marriage ceremony. Once Ben realized there was a chance of act as the consultant on what he believed to be a historical recreation of the Edo-era Japanese traditions, he jumped at the chance. Between him and Milton, Kim did not think any bride could have asked for a better wedding planners. She was even equipped with the traditional white shiromuku kimono and a special headpiece. The priest brushed up on the traditional rites as those fell out of popularity long time ago and even brought the sake that the bride and groom would have to drink at the shrine.

Meanwhile Milton and Stacy were on the other side of the temple ready to participate in the burial rites, with the priest's best student acting as the officiant. Kim could not believe that so many people were involved in helping her and Jack. Obviously, Jerry and Milton were there, but the priest, santero, Stacy, Ben... She just wished that all this planning wasn't in vain.

The two priests were as different as the day and night, but there were also similar. Both had kind and knowing eyes and their speech patterns veered towards the imposing and dignified. They nodded to each other respectfully and Miguel went about to set up his work area. He needed a clearing free of structure and vegetation and found a spot in the stone garden. Kim was fascinated with all that went on, but she had her own homework to do.

Miguel brought her another restorative and she was sipping the giant bottle of it because Miguel was concerned about her ability to deal with the possession of her own. She was already 'supporting' Jack and Yoshimi was siphoning a lot from her. There was no certainty as to what kind of toll it would take on Kim to add a whole new ghost. The priest also drew the ofuda on her forehead with invisible ink, which was Miltons suggestion.

Finally Miguel was satisfied with everything. The area was clear and at the center he had laid out Mariko's portrait from the journal. He started the music from his little boombox, like the low rumble of drums and chanting in a language she did not understand. He slowly undulated and moved his body in these very economical, small, movements. For a midd-aged man he was quite rhythmic and as the music grew a little more complex and louder, so his movements grew to be more expansive and he started traveling in concentric circles, each one larger than the previous one.

It was very hypnotic to watch him move as the music slowly grew louder. Kim swore she felt the wind pick up. Not strong gushes, but a breeze that seemed to come from outer circle and moved into the center, closer to the portrait. Miguel would occasionally make halting stops in his dance and pour liquid from numerous pouches that he had in his hands, until there more none left. The scent of whatever liquid he used, the rhythmic beat of the drums, the restorative were lulling her into a weird state of being here, but feeling like she is watching it from afar.

Finally the music reached crescendo and the man stooped, rooted in one spot and lifted his hands in supplication.

He spoke. Some weird mixture of something that she was sure Spanish and something else. Words came out quick from his mouth, like a song, melodic and hypnotic and then he fell to his knees, keening. She felt it too; it was like the air pressure suddenly changed. The air became heavy and the Kim's skin prickled in goosebumps as the feeling of 'something' happening or about to happen enveloped her.

She stood up, suddenly wobbly, worried that something was wrong with Miguel, but he opened his eyes looking directly at her and spoke clearly.

"Mariko Takanada." And then he drew a small blade along his palm and Kim nearly fainted at the sight of bright red blood appearing in the cut. He looked up at her and she put her own hand forward. The blade was sharp and Miguel was fast, but it still hurt quite a bit. She had no time to dwell on that. Together, she and Miguel walked to the portrait, their blood dripping down on the ground, leaving a trail behind.

Kim. collapsed back in her chair, sipping the restorative. She just finished fitting a band-aid over the cut, when a small dot of white light appeared suspended in the air between her and santero. It grew larger and larger until it was as tall as her. The light faded and in front of her stood a transparent, ghostly white, Mariko. She was facing away from Kim, but Kim saw her in dreams and she recognized that hair and those jade combs.

The spirit was very translucent and flickered as if the 'connection' was off. She looked around and stopped when she saw the shrine. It must have been something she recognized. Her head dropped low and Kim saw - through Mariko's fog like body - that Miguel lifted the portrait of her from the ground and proffered it to the spirit.

Mariko startled, her misty body quaking and blurring, until her hand lifted as if to touch the paper. Of course, she was not quite corporeal and her hand slid through the paper.

She spoke. Only it was in Japanese and Kim looked at the priest, hoping he understood. He responded, his answer slower and more deliberate and Kim wondered if he was searching for the older, proper, words to communicate to the ghost. Mariko was quiet throughout the explanation by the priest. Miguel was still kneeling and holding the portrait and Kim just stood behind the ghost, practically immobilized. This was second most surreal experience of her life, after the encounter with Yoshimi.

It was as though the thought of Yoshimi made Mariko aware of others present, because she slowly turned around to look at Kim.

She was... Mariko was... beautiful. Her cheekbones were higher than Kim's and her cheeks less round. The nose and lips were very similar and, of course, their coloring was day and night. Pale with glossy black hair and dark eyes, Mariko was very beautiful.

Kim stared and Mariko stared right back. Finally, the spirit held out her hand to Kim and she did the same. Kim saw Miguel's eyes widened, but he did not say anything, so Kim just moved her hand further out until she reached the outline of the ghost's fingers.

It was like touching very cold burst of air. There was not a physical sensation of touching, but the longer they stood like that, the colder Kim felt. The feeling of coldness spread from her fingers up her hand and rushed through her entire body, until it reached her head and then all she felt was the headache and ringing in her ears. Flashes of random memories flew through her mind's eye, until they stopped abruptly on Halloween. Those memories went slower it was as if Kim saw the events unfold, but from the viewpoint of somebody else. Looking at it now, like this, she could see how she looked very much like Mariko. When they got to the kiss that turned bloody, the headache became almost unbearable and her heart began faltering and starting, making her chest hurt a lot. She tried to breath through it, tried to dislodge the ghost's hold on her, but it was in vain. Memories flew faster and faster now, as if Mariko put them on fast forward and the pain in her head and chest were now constant. She coughed, feeling woozy and nauseated, and that somehow made Mariko let go of her.

Kim stumbled back, chest heaving and holding back the bile. She fell gracelessly back into the chair that was brought for her and absently she wiped her mouth with a tissue. As she expected there was blood. Mariko was watching her almost dispassionately, head tilted to the side, watching as Kim grabbed the restorative and took a healthy gulp of it.

Kim finally got her bearings and looked back at Mariko. She spoke again and the priest answered. His explanation involved him pointing at santero and Mariko turned to look at Miguel. He simply nodded and spoke in that mixture of Spanish and something else and Mariko nodded back. It was all very strange.

Mariko took one more look at Kim, who still sat in her chair, trembling from the recent coughing fit and feeling miserably sick, and turned back to the priest. She spoke fast. And decisively. Her demeanor was graceful and she spoke to the priest with her head bowed. Eventually she was done and the priest turned to Kim and Miguel.

"Mariko-san agreed to participate in the consummation. She was only vaguely aware of Yoshimi's suffering and his recent acts brought her great sorrow. She feels especially for Jack, who is a host right now. She was less pleased to hear that a bond was created between Yoshimi and Kimberly at the same time as you formed your bond with Jack. Therefore, she will do her part, but not before she and Yoshimi marry as is proper of the lady of her station. She believes that the marriage will properly sever Yoshimi's bond to you, Kimberly. She understands that time is of the essence."

Kim nodded along, happy with the fact that Mariko was agreeing. Sure, there would be marriage rites performed, but for all intent's and purposes, it would be Mariko and Yoshimi. She could live with that. She also mentally thanked priest for realizing this would be the case and made a mental note to thank Milton and Ben, after this was over. If she made it to the afterwards.

"Are in agreement?" the priest spoke into the silence and both Kim and Miguel said 'yes' in unison.

"Then, let us proceed."

* * *

Jack got the message from Kim about her family brunch and sighed deeply. He was out of excuses to not go to the martial arts presentation at the temple. Jerry was ecstatic about it and only mentioned it, like, 300 times in the last two days. Jack was not sure he wanted to go back to the temple, but he had to kill time somehow and watching martial arts was worthwhile.

On the way there Jerry talked non-stop. His excitement was so obvious, Jack actually made fun on him being so eager to go there, "Jerry, I've never seen you so excited about anything that did not involve food. What is going on?"

Jerry subsided a little after that and grumbled something about friends encouraging friends. Jack actually felt a little guilty after that.

They made it to the temple and the presentation was outstanding. The monks were very good at what they did and Jack was impressed at the level of mastery. He watched closely at the techniques presented and he felt like he could most of them already. Soon the monks were breaking into the individual sparring matches and some even encouraged audience members to participate.

Naturally, Jack volunteered.

It was amazing. He did not think he ever had opponents as good as those monks. He felt the exhilaration of sparring with equals and knew he did not have to hold back too much. Still, he was a bit stronger than before and he prevailed over some of them before he started using more of more of his full strength. Eventually, he was paired off against the largest of them. This guy was a formidable opponent and their fights were a near close call between the two of them. While the monk was taller and older than him, Jack had the agility and strength that the other guy didn't. It took about five minutes for them to figure out each other's strong and weak points and then the match really took off.

It was amazing. Jack felt amazing. He let go of the restraint and the strength and knowledge flowed through his body like a current and he relished it.

After two matches that were a draw, Jack managed to squeak in a victory and the praise of the monks was as meaningful as the offer from Otai Academy.

He was so pleased, enjoying the pleasant ache of his body after such a work out, that he threw his hand over Jerry's shoulders, "Thanks, man. This is what I needed."

"Yeah, sure. Anytime, man," Jerry said with a wide smile. Jack turned to proffer his fist for a fist-bump, but stopped when he saw that Jerry's wide smile did not match the stlightly terrified look on his friend's face.

"What? Jerry, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Just, eh... You are so strong now, man. Have you been eating your spinach?" Jerry said and trailed off into a high pitched laughter. So, he was still uncomfortable.

"That only works on Popeye, Jerry."

"Ok, no spinach then. What have you been eating? Whatever it is, go feed it to Kim. That girl's been gettin' skinny. I mean, there is skinny and there is skinny and she is definitely hitting the second type of skinny. Not that I am saying there is anything wrong with whatever body type the girl is, just sayin'..." he finally stopped at the look of Jack's face.

"Really? I had no idea you had such strong opinions on what size Kim should be," Jack spat out and could feel the tendrils of that violent energy that he just expended gather underneath his skin, ready to unleash.

"What?! No! Not like that! Dude, unclench!" Jerry shouted while backing away from Jack. "I am just sayin' that she look like she is still sick or something..."

"Yeah, because that quack had poisoned her," Jack's great mood all but evaporated and he advanced on his hapless friend, who, for some reason, decided that now was the time to check his phone.

"Ah, Jack. Chill, man. I told you I was sorry," Jerry mumbled and kept walking backwards.

"Will you stop? I am not going to do anything to you. Promise," Jack said and his friend stopped for a moment.

"Yeah, no. Sorry, but last time you were in this mood and Miguel came up I ended up with a black eye. So, no, I won't stop," his friend spoke quickly and made another quick sideway dash that brought them around the corner and into the gardens of the temple.

Jack chuckled at this, "If I was so inclined as to hit you, Jerry, I guaranty you, edging away from me won't be enough."

"Ha, ha, ha... You are so funny now Jack. Only, I think you are serious. Which is why I am giving myself some head start in case I have to dash away," Jerry almost danced away from Jack further and further into the garden, into the parts of the temple grounds away from public eyes. He had a vague memory of the stone garden and shrine.

 _So many years ago._

They cleared another corner and Jack stopped dead in his tracks, vaguely registering that Jerry actually turned and ran into the far corner of the small courtyard.

In the middle of the courtyard was stone garden and Japanese maple trees dotted the perimeter on three sides. The fourth one was left unobstructed to allow a view of the shrine.

In front of the shrine stood a delicate figure in white kimono, her head bowed as she was putting offerings on the shrine. He could only see her back, but even that was mesmerizing. Her beautiful locks flowed like silk, unrestrained by anything, save for a cherry blossom on one side.

She looked so beautiful...

"Saiai*..." it fell from his lips like a prayer and she must have heard him, because she turned to him and he just about forgot how to breath...

"Mariko..."

*Saiai means beloved in Japanese.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: In answer to some comments, Jack does not suddenly speak Japanese. I am using absolutely made-up science that people's thoughts are in universal language. So, while occupying Jack's and Kim's bodies, Yoshimi and Mariko speak English (language of the hosts) and are still capable of their native tongue of Japanese. I know, being multilingual myself, that it is possible to think in several languages at once and sometime construct sentences in that weird combo where the noun in one language and the verb in another.

Yoshimi is almost in complete control here.

* * *

He and Mariko locked eyes and suddenly, time seemed to have stopped.

If someone had asked him before, he would have told them that it was impossible. Time didn't stop, seconds never ceased to tick by. However, at that moment Yoshimi couldn't find another explanation as for why that it felt like even air didn't move.

He observed those lovely dark eyes widen. He could _see_ the recognition in them, even though they were a shade too light and he did not look much like himself right now.

Gods, she was beautiful. So painfully beautiful. Her skin looked so luminous, unlike his horrible dreams and nightmares, where everything was dull gray and bleak black and stark white.

Now he noticed how colorful everything looked. The dark read of the maple leaves. The green of the blossom stem. The shimmering gold of the hair, sparkling in the light. Blue sky, yellow and brown of the shrine, purple t-shirt on the curly-haired boy. There were a lot of colors and he felt intoxicated, drowning on the multiple new information that his brain was processing way too fast in way too little time.

She was wearing the most elegant of kimonos. It was white, but not just white. No, this white was the palest of pinks, like the blossom in her hair, it was that sort of pearly-pink-white that defied description, but was so breathtaking.

His eyes raked over her form, starved for many days (years) and he slowly lifted them to look into her eyes. Eyes that were glazed over with sorrow.

Then he saw those eyes, the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen, fall close and a small tear fell onto her cheek and rolled slowly, like the precious pearl from a broken necklace.

"Saiai... Yoshimi... I missed you so..." she whispered and her voice sounded like music, clear as bells, but soft and gentle.

"It has been so long, my love... Too long," he answered, heart going double the speed.

She looked at and he saw her smile start slowly and bloom to light up her entire face, "I have found you." She lifted one hand towards him and he took the necessary steps to bring him to her.

When they were only a few inches apart he stopped. Part of him was afraid that the moment he touched her, she'd disappear like she has done in so many of the dreams. Her hand was still out, palm up, and her tentatively touched it with his.

If he thought that seeing her made his world colorful, then touching her made everything have shape and texture and smell and taste. How long has he been like this? Living in the world so dull and bleak until this...

He held onto her hand (it had substance and weight, the skin soft and warm under his touch) and threaded fingers with hers... Magnetic... Like touching the lightening, but it's current didn't hurt; instead it flowed like heady rush of awareness, making him feel alive. How did he live without it before?

Soon, he wanted more... Her hand was not enough and he embraced her fully, hungry for that sensation of being alive, and he pressed her to him. He squeezed her tight - so small and yet impossibly enticing - and she whimpered a little.

 _Gentle, I must be gentle, she was so weak lately..._

He stepped back and looked at her solicitously, "are you all right, my love?"

"Just not used to such behavior from you," she smiled sadly and he winced remembering his own studiousness that robbed him of happiness.

"I learned my lesson. It was a hard one, but I always was a good student."

She smiled and sighed at the same time, "I know... It wasn't easy for you since... we parted," she finished delicately and he marveled at her. Such an understatement...

He wanted to hug her again, kiss her, feel her with every inch of his body, but he was suddenly shy. Maybe because it was Mariko (who was different, and yet not, her hair still the light of day, but her words, her demeanor... so confusing). Maybe because they were at the shrine. Maybe because she looked so fragile in her voluminous white kimono... Why was she here in a kimono of a bride?

"I still don't understand how are you here. I know that curse kept me from following you, but you are here, with me..."

"The girl... She is worried about her beloved. And about you..." her voice was reluctant now. " She called for me to come and help you," Mariko frowned and he wanted to smooth that worry line from her face. "She is tied to you now. How unfortunate..."

"No, my love. It was because I thought she was you. She said as much. Those were lies!" The girl lied, didn't she? And yet here she was with her golden hair, but she was also one with Mariko... And she was worried about him. So confusing...

"Please, saiai. You were one with her beloved. I think I know why she tried to make you think she was me... But..." She trailed off unsure and he leaned to hold her hand, playing with delicate fingers.

"Yes, what is it?" He pressed a kiss to her small wrist and felt the rapid beating of the pulse on the blue vein that stood out against the porcelain skin. So fragile...

"I... I am here because your love was so strong it withstood the test of time. I am here because even after all this time I felt our connection. I am here because we're tied together by fate itself. I am here to complete what we could not before." She spoke like she was reciting a vow and he looked at her face, her conviction painting delicate cheeks with gentle blush. Oh, but to kiss them now...

"Whatever you want, my love," she could do anything to him, could ask anything of him. He would do it...

"I want to marry you, Yoshimi. I want to complete the ritual that would bless our union as it is already ordained by destiny..." she looked earnestly at him and he could not stop the smile and laughter bursting from him.

"It was always my deepest wish and desire, my sweet Mariko," at this he allowed himself finally to kiss her.

Incredible, she was incredible. Her lips at once soft and pliable, but also firm and strong, moved against his, igniting the familiar fire that pushed him to go deeper. More, I need more... Never can have enough of this sweet nectar... Let me drink it in.

Her delicate hands pressed lightly against his chest, the gesture too soft, but he pulled back anyway and caught sight of her flushed face and unfocused eyes.

 _Let go, ease up, she needs air..._

"There you are. Can't have you faint now, can we? You need to marry me first," he said and smiled widely at her blushing face.

It all moved very quickly from there. The priest appeared as if from nowhere and began his recitations. They did not have a head of the family to speak for them and priest simply made the announcement as if he were Mariko's father. When it came to asking blessings of the gods, Yoshimi tensed expecting some obstacles in the way, but everything went smoothly. The old man passed the sake to them and he had his three healthy sips quickly, the strength of alcohol paling to the intoxication of the moment. When it was Mariko's turn, she nearly choked on the strong drink, but managed three tiniest sips. Still, it made her cough and when it stopped, he noticed the tinge of red at the corner of her mouth.

"What? Are you well, saiai?"

"I am, but this mortal body is weak... It is strange to be back to this form, in this realm. But, no matter, my love. Soon it will be of no concern to us. We'll have eternity together," she smiled softly, her hand in his chest (her hand so sure and gentle on him).

Eternity... With her... Together at last...

He was pulled back to the present when he saw the priest try and pass her a cup of unknown liquid.

Everything in him tensed up and he snatched it from the old man's hand in a quick move.

"What is it?" He asked sharply and Mariko startled at his harsh voice.

"It is a restorative..." The priest began, just as Mariko said, "thank you, shinshoku.*"

He wasn't sure what to think, memories of her (dark haired) dying in his dreams, of her (golden haired) in the hospital bed being unwell, swirling in his head, making his head hurt. So confusing...

Mariko placed a gentle hand on him, bringing his focus onto her again, "it is all right. I am fine. But the girl, she need this cure."

The word snapped his senses back, like a hit from a strong opponent.

No more cures.

 _Not an option._

He grabbed the drink and dumped the liquid out, while he stared down the priest. The old man's face was unperturbed, but it deliberate blankness was telling. When the liquid was gone he looked at Mariko's face searchingly, but she looked weary.

The priest sighed and turned back to the shrine and made the final offerings to kamu.*

The ceremony was done. Mariko was his and they had the blessings of the gods. The priest told them as much and he saw the immediate effect it had in Mariko: her eyes brightened and focused, her face did not look so pale anymore and her small body stood taller. He himself felt like his heart was lighter just watching her transform.

The priest turned to them both, serene and serious, and offered them the formal congratulations.

"It is not often these days that I get to perform the traditional marriage rites. Thank you go choosing this temple for such a joyous occasion. In the intervening years, the couples have added to the time tested rituals. These days they offer vows to each other. Do you wish to say your own vows?" he asked both of them.

He had nothing to say, the request catching him off guard, but Mariko nodded shyly.

"My love, when we first met, you were the serious and loyal warrior. Your heart, it's light, called to me and I was hopeless against that call. But life and people threw obstacles in our way. I do not regret loving you, but I regret leaving you behind brokenhearted. This is our chance, denied to us before. Let this time be happy, let it be joyous, let it make our hearts be one."

She took a thin brush from the priests hands and dipped it in a small tin of ink, "I want to write this promise of happiness into our fates, Yoshimi. Let me write my promise of love on you..."

He stood nearly speechless at these beautiful words. How was he so lucky? His brave beloved moved though time and defied death to be near him. He didn't deserve her and yet she wanted him. Wanted him, them, to be happy.

Overwhelmed by all this, he nodded his consent and she drew on his forehead, serious and careful, eyes moving along with the strokes of the brush. She stepped back when she was done, eyes shining bright and smile stretching her lips. She looked luminous in her happiness and he could not stop himself even if he tried. He pulled her close for a kiss that was deeper than previous one, because he kissed her smiling mouth, lips parted, and he snuck a taste by dipping in.

Taste... His world had taste and it was Mariko's own brand of ambrosia: the sweetest, the most savory, the most addictive... Never enough... He felt the energy arching between them, like the air itself solidified and turned into invisible threads, connecting them. The kiss went on and the more he tasted, the more he wanted. Mariko was always shy about kisses, especially after she was married, but the girl was... different. Passionate, her kisses free and unrestrained. Even that first time, when she bit him, he knew it was her feisty nature and he relished it. He pushed harder into the kiss, memories and sensations crowding him and his hands dropped to her waist to pull her closer...

A loud throat clearing finally broke through the kiss-induced haze and he looked up to see Mariko's face with spots of high color on her very pale face. Her pupils were blown back and she swayed in his hold.

The girl has been weak lately...

 _She is so weak... She needs doctors..._

"Saiai... Sweetheart... Are you alright? What ails you?"

Her eyes re-focused and something lurked in them, at once suspicious and... like a recognition. "I am fine, saiai. Just... you are so passionate. I am hardly used to that," she spoke quietly and then added hastily, "I like it." Her voice dropped even lower and she whispered into his chest, "I can't wait for what's to come..."

The priest cleared the throat again, loud and completely obvious, and he almost glared at the man. "As you were once one of our best students here and this temple was your home, we arranged for you and your bride to spent time here, before your travels."

Oh... Oh... The old man meant retreating to their rooms to... Everything in him coiled and tensed at the realization of what's to come...

'My sweet Mariko... We'll be united at last. Your delicate body that I coveted for so long. Mine... All mine...'

 _She needs doctors... Just wait..._

'I won't wait a minute longer. I waited centuries. No, it is my right now. I am her wedded husband and her destined bondmate.'

* * *

Milton has made an airtight schedule to go with Kim's asinine plan. He knew it was asinine. She knew it too. Because he told her. It was only her Crawford stubbornness that made her go on with it anyway. So, he made a schedule and timed everything, but... Like that German general said, "No plan survives the contact with the enemy."* No plan could account for every variable. And Mariko was a huge variable.

Jerry texted him when the wedding rites were over and the happy couple went off to... No, he'd rather not repeat what Jerry said. In fact, he'd rather not think about that, especially this about his two friends. Even if they were not exactly Kim and Jack at the moment.

So, back to the schedule. The wedding was over and the priest was holding them back to give Mariko time to write an ofuda. This was his signal to start the burial ceremony. He, Ben and Stacy took their spots and the junior priest was good on his training. Ben was salivating at the sound of the old Japanese and the measured, traditional proceedings. Stacy was quiet and had somber look on her face. He supposed that was appropriate for the funeral, which what this was, essentially.

He could not quite relax and immerse himself in a new experience. Worry about things going wrong was constantly running through his head and he fidgeted, inwardly lamenting the fact that the priest chose a longer, traditional, rites. In the end, he could not quite blame him. Everybody wanted this to go right.

The first reading of the rites by the priest, reciting the names and lives of people involved in the process (they improvised, of course, going by Yoshimi's journal and filing the blanks with generalities and platitudes) went well. Or so they though until they felt the rush of wind whip through the courtyard they have been in. They all turned their heads around, but that was it. Stacy looked a little paler than before and stepped closer to him as if seeking protection against the invisible. He mentally patted himself on the back for insisting they all wear ofuda on their foreheads.

The second reading involved Stacy adding a few particular phrases and she spoke them in halting and trembling voice. He wasn't sure if it was the earlier sudden wind they felt or the situation itself, but she sounded affected by it all and it added to the general mood. He could not stop himself and took her hand in his and squeezed it gently, earning himself a grateful look.

Once the words died on Stacy's lips, they felt another, stronger, rush of air. Only this gush of wind rustled the trees and made them sound like whispers of thousands of voices, mournful and desolate. Ben looked a little green around the gills and Stacy abandoned all pretense and huddle into him. In any other situation Milton would have stopped and marveled in disbelief that a girl (pretty, smart, funny, gamer) was seeking him for protection and comfort, but these were not typical circumstances.

Milton and the junior priest exchanged wary glances and Milton gave the man a decisive nod. Something was going on. He would bet his entire monthly allowance that Jack was fighting off Yoshimi right now and their ritual here was helping. If there was one thing Milton knew for sure it was that Jack and Kim would have his back, so he would have theirs.

The recitations began again, this time Stacy and the priest doing it in unison with Ben adding a low tenor note to the process, making the ritual words sound almost choral-like. He felt a buzzing in his pocket and surreptitiously checked the phone.

'Mariko didn't drink the cure. Jashimi flipped put and dumped it.'

He knew it, he knew it. It was the variable he was afraid of. Kim was already pretty sick and Miguel's restorative was staving off the worst symptoms. If Mariko did not drink it... He didn't think Kim had much in her to... last long. He shuddered at the thought, not longer grossed out that he was thinking about this friends and sex, but rather horrified that one of them might be dying right now.

"NO! NO! NO!"

A loud wail that was definitely Jack's voice pierced through Milton's frantic thoughts and everybody stopped.

Oh, no, they could not stop now. They were close.

"Please, don't stop. Go on. We really have no time," he begged Stacy and the priest and the two went back to their recitation, eyes darting every now and then between the scroll in front of them and the temple building.

He texted with trembling hands to Jerry, 'Have Miguel on stand-by with his tea!'

 _Come on, Jack. I know you are strong. Kim needs you, please. Come on._

"KIM!"

* * *

Jerry was freaking out, ok? You'd be too, if you best friend was possessed by a freakishly strong and super angry ghost. Who only had one thought on his mind. Which was also a major trigger. Specifically, his girlfriend and your other friend. The friend's girl, not the ghost's. Although, right now it was one and the same. As was the ghost and the friend, he thought. Yeah, it was confusing. One friend possessed by a ghost. And was super hung up on his girlfriend. Keep up.

The important part was that Jack was, like, super into Kim right now and anyone saying or doing anything to her was like guaranteeing that you'd get punched. He knew it, Albert knew it, Brett knew it. Miguel, those clients of his, the nurse. The man nurse, the murse. Ha, that was funny to watch though. And when Brett got served, too. Seriously, Brett tried to hit Jerry in the face.

Anyway, as much as the freaky Jack was into Kim, she was apparently pretty into him too. Because the only reason a girl would agree to be possessed by ghost, so that the first ghost could get his nasty on with his long-dead girl, would be because of love. Yeah, still confusing, but if Jerry could keep up, so could you.

It sucked all around. Maybe not for the ghost 1 and ghost 2, but for Kim and Jack for sure.

Like, Kim was practically model skinny right now. And pale and tired all the time. Miguel said it was because of that bond thing between Jack and Kim being broken or something. And he even made her some drink to help with all that, but wouldn't you know? Both the ghost and Jack were really not keen on anything that was called 'a cure' being given to Kim.

So, yeah, Jerry was freaking out. Right now ghost 2 was in Kim's body (weak and skinny and tired and without medicine) doing the horizontal rumba with ghost 1, who was inside Jack's body (stronger than ever). All joking aside, he was not sure if Kim would make it. And if something happened to her...

He wasn't sure that Jack could take it.

He, santero and the priest (and there was joke waiting to happen), sat in the courtyard waiting. As gross as it was, they really were just hoping to jump in the moment Yoshimi is gone. How they would know, he wasn't sure...

But...

He would not leave Jack and Kim now. They were friends.

He texted Milton about the situation on the medicine (it not being given to Kim) and prayed (to all gods, like, all of them) that everything went well.

They all jumped when a loud, gut-wrenching scream came from above. "NO! NO! NO!"

It was Jack... Oh god, it was not going well.

He jumped up, not sure where to go and what to do and got the text from Milton about being ready with Miguel, just as they heard another painful shout.

"KIM!"

It was a go time for them...

*Shinshoku means a priest

*Kamu plural for gods.

*Helmuth von Moltke did say that about military planning. American military has an expression meant to convey the same sentiment: SNAFU.

A/N: Next chapter would be from inside the wedding chamber (I am getting fancy here with all the historic stuff I am throwing into his fic).

Please let me know how Milton's and Jerry's perspectives came out...


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: To my readers who wanted Jack's and Kim's first time to be as themselves. You can skip this chapter. Think of this as strictly Yoshimi and Mariko. As a follow-up to that, the language is a bit weird because they are from 200 years ago, upper-class Japanese. So, the bedroom stuff is whatever I ended up writing. I cannot tell how much I wrestled with this. I avoided 'heaving bosoms,' but an 'ardent' or two might have made it in.

* * *

Yoshimi took Mariko's hand and they followed the priest to the rooms that were overlooking the garden. They passed a group of monks and he thought he saw the two meddling boys in the crowd. No matter... It all would stop being a problem soon enough. Everything was moving slowly for him and her little steps, endearing because she was so little, were almost too much and he wanted to just scoop her into his arms and run. They reached the room and the priest left them with a bow, not making any eye contact.

Once alone, Mariko shied away from his touch, blushing like a new bride should. So endearing. Her innocence practically radiated from her and he took some pleasure in stalking her about the room, his movements making her step back from him until she hit the wall with her back.

He continued his liquid slink until he was mere inches from her. Then he stopped.

This close to her again he could smell her scent unpolluted by the incense of the shrine and sake vapors. She was intoxicating. He stood there just breathing, enjoying this moment. He could see her gulping air and her transfixed stare as she looked at his chest.

In one move he took off the shirt (one this century figured out was the easy wardrobe) and slowly, luxuriating in her heated stare, stretched his torso, muscles rippling and he leaned forward. "Look at me," he breathed over her hair and it moved with his words.

He saw her breathing hitch again and she slowly lifted her eyes from wherever she was staring (he felt her gaze as it left the hot trail on him) and finally looked at him.

Even with her face set in this mix of longing and apprehension, her lips were parted and curling at the ends. It made her look kissable. He was mesmerized.

Her dark piercing gaze darted between his eyes for a moment and then slowly trailed down his face, sweeping over every millimeter as if taking an immaculate inventory. He could hear his breath snag and unravel. Just like hers.

The tension was unbearable. She made a little inadvertent inhale in her throat that tore a corresponding noise from him, signalling the all-consuming and choking desire that bubbled up over his body, viscous and burning like the ever present need for violence.

Eyes locked with hers, his lips parted, "Don't move," his words were merely a breath in the back of his throat. And with that he lifted his hands to her elaborate kimono.

Slowly. Agonizingly slowly he searched for the fastening of the obi* belt and when he did, he only had to tug it once for it to come undone.

She shivered.

Then came the outer layer of kimono, already loosened without the belt and only the slightest pull on the sleeves made it fall around her feet like the cheery blossoms that fall on the ground after the rain.

She closed her eyes, breathing deeply and slowly and he had a fleeting thought that she might be indeed unwell.

But she opened her eyes, dark and mesmerizing, and he saw acceptance in them, even as her breathing sped up almost into hyperventilation.

He was watching her - always watching her - and this close he could see the rapid rhythm of the pulse point at the base of her throat.

 _No, can't have her pass out._

So he lowered his head even more and his breath spilled over her lips and she inhaled him. His gaze still hyper-focused on her, even as her eyes hid behind fluttering lashes, as his own inhale coaxed the answering exhale from her mouth.

Time had lost its meaning hours ago it seemed as she stood with her face tipped up, his body towering over her, as they strung each breath along a fine line between them. In, out… in, out. She struggled with her hitching, erratic pants, taking warm air from his lips into her lungs, into her body. With each draw her breathing evened out, but his was getting more uncontrollable. Her warmth was making him feel overheated and the excess seemed to settle low in his belly...

"Should I go on, my sweet love?" he said into her mouth and she shuddered violently, a small 'yes' escaping her.

There was a nagajuban*, also white and made of soft cotton, which was easy to peel off as it only had one tie at the side. With this garment he pulled it off by placing his hands on her shoulders and he could feel her trembling slightly.

So innocent, so enticing...

When it fell to her feet as well, she was left standing in a susoyoke.* Only he suspected that the girl would call it a slip. It was also white, trimmed in lace, and very-very short.

He moved then, unable to stand this tension, and placed one hand on her cheek and another on her waist, crushing the fabric under his fingers. Carefully, slowly, he ghosted his mouth along her jaw and then followed her pulse down her neck. His hair brushed her cheek and she gasped from the contact. Every nerve was on fire.

A purr vibrated deep in his chest as he drew in a shaky breath at the crook of her neck. " _ **Mine**_ ," he pushed the whispered word huskily along his exhale.

She reeled, and rocked back on her heels as her knees buckled in a rippling wave of shudder.

With a groan, he grabbed her hips with both hands, uncaring that he was probably bruising her. He waited so long...

His mouth simply took everything she had to offer. All of her sweetness. He pushed his pelvis into her belly, sending her onto the wall and stepping with one leg between hers.

Her lips parted willingly. But his tongue didn't plunder; it traced the quivering shape and fullness of them with a delicacy that belied the frantic play of his hands as they cataloged every inch he could without altering his possessive embrace. She was delicate. Small bones forming an undeniably elegant and appealing figure, with slight curves and long legs.

More. More now. _**Mine**._

Her hands reached up and encircled his neck, pulling him closer... Yes, closer. He couldn't get close enough. As if in answer to her body's demand, he stooped and easily lifted her hips up by one forearm. She ardently wrapped her legs around his waist, her fingers eagerly trying to memorize every line of his chest, tracing his jaw, raking through his hair.

"Argh..." he grunted into her lips even while he pressed her further into the wall. With her back braced against the wall he took advantage of his free hands to explore her body. In contrast to what had become a deep and fervent kiss, his hands were surprisingly gentle as they ghosted over her arms, down her back - raising her nipples with a palm, feeling goosebumps on her skin.

'Must be gentle... My sweet Mariko...'

As if his body were combustible tinder, he was burning, each sensation stoked an inferno that was crackling deep inside him, its flames licking and charring everything in their wake, leaving only a punishing need for completion.

Mouths still furiously joined, his hands rested at the back of her head and tangled in her hair as he angled her so he could fully press into her. The ache in him demanded attention, but the harsh wall was hardly the best place. He wrapped his arms around her again and took a few staggered steps to the bed and slowly lowered her on to it, leaning over her, supporting her with his arms until she was lying back, pillowed on his palms. His body pressed down over hers and he purred at the delicious feel of her softness. She tightened her legs around him as he began to push his body against her rhythmically. Whimpering desperately, she arched, the movement sliding over him in the most delicious of ways and he ground back into her with more force than he ever before and she moaned aloud, the sound hoarse and almost pained.

He gasped and left her lips, nipping frantically down her jaw to follow her pulse point to where he suckled ravenously, marking her.

 _Oh, yessss. **His**._

She threw her head to the side to give him better purchase and pushed her neck into his hungry mouth. Somehow, drunk as he was on the sensation and want, he noticed the threadiness of her heartbeat and uneven speed of the each beat.

He was about to slow down ( _stop it, stop it, stop it_ ) but she looked at him with hooded eyes and endless love in them and he fell back into this abyss of desire.

* * *

Mariko leaned in and pressed her lips to his desperately trying to remember the taste and the sensation. She trailed her lips back up to his eye and placed a kiss on lid, and then did the same with the other side. His skin was salty and sweaty and she could feel the stubble, and something deep within her made her tongue want to lave each inch of it. So she did, following each tiny lick with a press from her lips.

Yoshimi's shaking hands came up the back of her head, and guided her mouth back to his. This time the kiss was long, deep, sensual. As if his lips, his tongue, his very breath was desperately pulling her soul into him. Mariko released it willingly.

Like a spark falling to a pool of oil, an instant rush of fire seemed to light her from the inside. Her arms wrapped around him tightly, pulling her body between her knees.

Desire, it seemed, overtook them both and at some point he simply grabbed the fabric of her undergarment at the collar and ripped it into like it was made of paper.

"I apologize... It has to go… _now_." There was another rip, and her chest was pressed to his - skin to skin. She sucked in a sharp breath of ecstasy at the sensation: satin on silk, warm and smooth and... _Oh, God._

He looked down at her with a wickedly delighted smile and rubbed his body up and down hers. Slowly.

His hips seemed to fall into position between her legs on their own and his movements transformed into thrusts as his bare arm snaked behind her back. His eyes rolled in his head once and he groaned, pressing his face into her neck while his body continued to pump against her.

She arched against him, bringing her legs around his waist, pressing him frantically to her with her heels. She was going to explode!

"Oh, oh… _please_ ," she cried hoarsely.

His hands splayed over her back and he groaned into her mouth.

"Oh," he hissed as a tremor rippled through his body.

Another rip and a tug on her skin (it stung a little, her underpants, she realized) and suddenly the rough fabric that clothes his legs and pelvis was rubbing against her entirely naked body and _oh..._

* * *

He ducked down to graze over the shell of her ear with his teeth as his hand strummed over her skin hungrily oh, so hungrily, sneaking its way down to that apex between her thighs that was like a magnet to his every sense.

She made a soft sound in the back of her throat. He glanced up at her face to make sure it was all right. Her eyes were heavy and half-mast, her lips enticingly parted, the tip of her tongue running daintily over her front two teeth; he decided it was.

His fingers gently massaged her inner thighs, and stroked around her pelvis and her thighs magically opened.

She gasped along with him as his fingers stroked her, delicately exploring that nest of creamy warmth. He found the little pearl and stroked an exacting finger over it. He was rewarded by a low, sultry moan.

"So long," he groaned as he collapsed on a nipple. It puckered under his lips into a tiny pink berry and he it, unable to stop himself. She was going to make him mad. Well, madder...

He massaged and dipped until she was arching off the mattress with open-mouthed pants. That was it, he simply could not hold off any longer...

His hand withdrew and she slowly opened her dilated eyes, confused for a second... Until she saw that he was taking off his pants.

She stared...

He preened under that heavy gaze... She was pleased with what she saw...

And then he was on top of her again and there was no time to preen and think. Just feel.

* * *

The next thing she felt was a delicious pressure, right at the burning spot that was screaming for his touch between her legs. He adjusted his body over her, and began to push. Slowwwly. His hips pressed into her body with a patient and slow rhythm that made her eyes close and her legs spread further apart.

She felt his body, smooth and hot, enter her own and her legs lifted to rest on his back to give him better purchase.

"Centuries... my love," he murmured. "Worth the wait..."

And then, with several more strokes, she gasped at the sensation... It stung... A lot... Oh, the girl... She was untouched...

She blinked away a tear and just breathed.

 _So tight, so full._

His body stopped its movement, every muscle trembling, waiting for her to adjust and she loved him even more for this courtesy to her, to the girl...

She let her head fall to the side as her hips tilted instinctively upwards. "More," she sighed breathy.

With a long low moan, he began his slow stoking rhythm until he was buried so deep inside her that he filled up her very soul.

She sucked in a shaking, open-mouthed breath and tilted her head back as if that could make more room in her body for him. "Yoshimi," she gasped his name like a prayer.

"Mariko," he groaned low and sultry. "'Are you all right, saiai?" he asked hoarsely, with a hitch to his breath.

She could only sigh her assent.

And he started to move. Slowly withdrawing and then, just as slowly pushing his full length back in. Again and again, at a such a luxuriant pace that the tension he incited became unbearable.

"Oh, oh... _Please_!" she whimpered.

With that entreaty he slammed deeply into her body. His own need took over in the unabashedly demanding thrusts into her. The pain was laced with a pleasure too sweet to be substantial and her breath rose in a breathy cry with her back arching and hips tilted for yet more.

They plummeted over the lip of that cresting wave and peaked together, Yoshimi's low, throaty moan of _Mariko_ heralding the seeping warmth inside her.

And then he was kissing her, all over her face, murmuring her name over and over and over.

She realized she had dug her fingernails into his back deeply, and smoothed over the dents in his skin. She brought her palms down to hold his face and looked into his eyes. They were dreamy and vulnerable and absolutely soul-rendingly gorgeous.

"Yoshimi," she whispered.

He smiled. A peaceful, soulful and glorious smile.

She wanted to keep looking at that tender and unguarded expression forever, but she could barely hold her eyelids open. "I-I feel so … tired," she mumbled with a thick tongue, too relaxed to be frightened by the sensation of having been drugged.

Nuzzling her jaw, Yoshimi rolled over on his back, pulling her with him. "Then rest, my love."

She couldn't think of any reason to resist the sudden drowsy exhaustion; her body was deliciously sated and she was splayed over the warm, smooth chest of her… of her _mate_.

She looked up at his face and saw the changing and swirling color of his irises: they were like liquid mercury of black and hazel and it was mesmerizing.

It must be the boy, she thought. He is beautiful.

 _Jack,_ the girl thought happily and Mariko felt the rising conscience of the girl, stretching and pushing at her to leave.

It was time.

She kissed him again, not sure when and if she would get the chance like this again.

Then she breathed deeply through her nose against the almost violent shudder of sudden cold spreading through her, even while she pressed her body to his. She was gulping air and not having enough. Her body felt like it was losing energy, as it was losing temperature, and the trembling that started in her fingers spread through her limbs. Soon she shook like a tree brunch in hurricane.

 _Please, no more, I think... I think..._

She gritted her teeth and ordered herself to just breath...

But the eyes in front of her turned all black again and in one shockingly fast movement he had her flipped over on her back in the center of the mattress and his body pressed over hers. His mouth crushed hers with an unabashed covetousness. For just a moment she was frozen, but like snowflake on a warm palm her surprise and uncertainty melted quickly into creamy, sticky want. Her lips parted so that she could suckle that velvet tongue into her mouth, while she felt her hum of desire reverberate in her teeth.

Like a diver coming up for air, he broke the kiss with a long inhale. "So long. I waited so long for you. I am not ready to go just yet," he gasped as if reminding himself and then rained kisses down her jaw over her neck again.

As his lips reached that sensitive spot over her pulse, she moaned (it was both in want and in pain, she wasn't sure which she felt more) and pushed against him. He growled and drew her skin into his mouth, sucking fervently, biting hard. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head at the dual sensation of pain and pleasure.

"Yoshimi," she heard her own voice moan, raspy, unrecognizable.

 _Jack_ the girl thought sadly.

"Mine," he hissed darkly. "You're **mine**."

She barely was aware of it at this point. Dark spots danced in her eyes, her head felt heavy and the ringing in her ears got worse.

"Ahhhh..." She sighed, wishing she'd fall into that darkness.

* * *

"Ahhh..." she moaned again, low and uneven, and the sound devolved into a coughing fit.

He pulled back, scared and gentle, rolling her on her side and rubbing her back. When it stopped, her face was pale and dark shadows lay around her eyes. She laid back against the bed and smiled sadly, unaware that a small trickle of blood gathered at the corner of her mouth.

 _No, not this, please, not her..._

"What... What is happening, my sweetheart?" he asked, not remotely ready to hear the answer.

"She is dying," the voice was just as pale as the face.

"Why?" he had a feeling he knew.

"Being separated from her love is making her weak. But we needed this time together..."

"I... Did she know?" once again, he knew what the answer would be to that.

"Yes. She did it for you. For us. For them. Everything has a price."

The nightmare (It is for us, I am doing this for you). The boy's, no his, no, their devastation...

The girl was dying...

No..

 _NO! KIM! NO!_

He did not notice that tears rolled down his face until they fell down on her skin... He clutched his head and his chest at once as the pain that spread through him was unbearable. She raised herself slowly from the bed and touched his face with trembling fingers.

"What is it, my love? I can feel your distress..." she asked as if she was just in pain herself. Maybe she wasn't... It was the girl, who was sick, Mariko was... fine. She was a spirit after all.

"I feel... I feel like my heart is breaking in two. I am not sure how to explain it," he mumbled.

"It's the boy. Please let go. The girl must live."

What was she saying? He loved her, was bonded to her, was married to her... The girl was insignificant... Wasn't she?

 _No, Kim, please..._

Stubborn, he tried to shake away the feeling and kissed Mairko again. But as enticing as she was being right now, the dull ache in his chest would not go away.

Still he pressed harder into her lips. Heady taste of her and the feeling of her small body, drove him on, reigniting the passion that was just beneath the surface. He pulled her closer and kissed her deeper. He was lost in the intoxication of the moment...

Until he tasted copper...

 _No, Kim, please, stop, Kim-hurt-Kim-hurt._

With a roar he pulled back and stumbled out of bed, clutching his head.

"NO! NO! NO!" he shouted and she fell onto the bed, pale and scared, her pulse beating wildly and the breathing uneven.

He made a move towards her and spoke against the tightness in the chest, "It's not you. I am not talking to you," he managed in a normal tone. "It's the boy. He is fighting me now. He wants... He needs... He l-loves..." he stopped as another wave of pressure and pain broke through him, robbing him with no words and leaving behind just a scream.

"KIM!"

*Obi is a wide belt worn with kimonos and tied in the back.

*Nagajuban is the inner kimono meant to protect the silk one.

*Susoyoke is a half-slip worn under the nagajuban. Here, Kim is basically wearing a regular white chemise.


	26. Chapter 26

Jack felt like he woke up from a long nightmare. No, that's not right. He wasn't a passenger watching on. It was him. And Yoshimi. It was them together. All this time... He was right there with the ghost: distrustful and jealous, violent and possessive.

He looked at Kim, lying unconscious in the bed, and had no idea what to do. He checked her pulse and knew she was alive (please, please, please), but she was not waking up (no, no, no). His throat was still raw from the last scream that accompanied his final push to get rid of Yoshimi. If he were to describe it, it was like having to peel off a layer of skin: it was painful, and slow and hard. But the pain was nothing compared to he pain and fear he felt when he saw Kim faint.

They were struggling, him and Yoshimi. He felt, for the first time since Halloween, as the ghost's consciousness separated from his after... after... the consummation (he studiously avoided thinking about it right now, wasn't sure he could handle it just yet). It felt amazing not to have that undertone of darkness that came with Yoshimi, like he'd shaken of the depression and anxiety, and was free and light.

But then Yoshimi tried to fuse himself to Jack again. He was so stubborn, so determined, so... in love (Mariko-mine-need-stay)... He gained a momentary upper hand and dove for a kiss with Mariko? Kim? Jack wasn't sure, but the kiss was hard and demanding and Kim wasn't in any shape to fight back...

She was so pale (what have I done? what has Yoshimi done?) They took all that she was and took indiscriminately. And now she was...

"NO! NO! NO!" That scream was him pushing Yoshimi out. And it was Yoshimi screaming to stay here.

She shrank away from them, terrified (oh, please, Kim, baby, it's me) and he pushed again, knowing that she needed him now. More than ever (Kim, please, stay here with me...). But she looked up at him, smiled as if she _saw_ him, Jack, and fainted...

"KIM!

That was when it finally happened. The skin came off and he saw the translucent image of an Asian man in his twenties, with serious face and dark eyes. The image hovered over them and Jack saw it extend its ghostly finger towards Kim's form and Jack sprang up, ready to fight.

But then Kim's silhouette blurred and a shimmering white outline of her stretched and rose from the bed. It was Mariko: beautiful, dark haired, in her white kimono. She did look like Kim, so much. And yet, not like Kim at all.

Mariko looked at him, at Kim, head turning a little and smiled. She spoke to him, but it was Japanese and he had no clue what she said. He got the gist though, when he heard _Arigato._

The two ghosts held hands and dissipated.

He had just enough time to put on pants and pull a blanket over Kim, when there was a strident knock on the door.

Soon the room was full of people: priests (actually two of them) showed up and Miguel was pushing a cup in Jack's hands.

"Drink. It'll give you strength." The man ordered him and Jack took a dubious look at it. Miguel heard his unspoken question and answered, "you need your strength."

"But I don't feel..." He took stock of what he was feeling. He actually felt great. Physically at least.

"Not for yourself. For her..."

The other priest was checking Kim's pulse like he had earlier. "She is deeply asleep it, seems. Are you sure it's worked?"

His question was addresssed to both Jack and Miguel and Jack was grateful that the older man spoke first, "it's their bond settling. She was drained... Almost to complete exhaustion... It is your turn, Jack, to support her."

Jack started at that, "what do you mean 'my turn' to support her?"

Miguel's face grew somber and Jack just knew it would be some bad news.

"You and her are bondmates. When Yoshimi took possession of you, you fought it. And it drained you."

Jack was already shaking his head no, "no, not true. I felt... fine..." His words died down as he looked on Kim, "but she wasn't..." Realization was dawning on him and it was as painful as seeing her sick. She did it for him, for them. Guilt, vicious an corrosive, ate at him and he swallowed hard against the feeling.

He felt Miguel's hand on his shoulder, squeezing him, "Do not despair, young man. You certainly did not know. I know that she was not aware of it either. This is the nature of bonds like this. Some of it is not within anyone's control, it is instinctive. It is only when your bond was almost severed that it got so draining for her."

Something in what santero was saying finally pierced his aura of guilt and he looked at the man, "you keep saying 'bond and bondmates.' I thought it was just Yoshimi and Mariko..."

"You and Kim bonded the night of the Halloween. My cure that I gave you to help with obsession worked to break your connection to Kim. It was why you and she were so sick..." he stopped at this and after a moment continued, "I am deeply sorry, Jack. I failed to recognize what was going on and caused you two so much harm."

"Is she... Is she sick because we are... bonded and it is broken?" he was kind of felling sick himself, but shoved it aside because of the overwhelming need to have Kim be well.

"Yes, she was. But now that you have..." santero trailed off delicately. "It should be better. She would take from you," here it was again. That veiled nod to what just happened here. Oh, god, he and Kim had sex while not quite themselves. He, as Yoshimi had sex with Kim... While she was already weak and possessed by Mariko.

Oh god, she allowed Mariko to take over so that Yoshimi could leave! Oh, god, why? Why was he so weak that he could not fight Yoshimi off himself? All of this, all of it - the pain to himself, the real pain and suffering to Kim, the almost dying, and now some ritualistic sex - all of it could have been avoided if only he was stronger.

He almost vomited right then and there. He was pathetic and weak and just...

"We must take her to her place," the priest said solemnly and Jack nodded along. Yes, her parents were still out on that winery tour and wouldn't be back for another day.

"I..." he had to stop and clear his throat. "I will take her there."

"You should stay next to her Jack. The closer you are, the better her recovery would be," santero added and gave him the bottle of some liquid. "Please drink this to avoid too much drain on yourself."

 _Yeah,_ he thought miserably, _like she had some help with the toll it was taking on her?_

It would have to wait. All this guilt and self-inventory (he hated the counselor now for having this term stuck in his head) would have to wait until she was better. He could fall apart later. Right now Kim needed him.

He shooed others out and dressed her carefully in the cotton kimono, leaving behind the silk one. He did not think he could look at it without a shudder now. Her silk slip was in tatters, as were her panties. He saw the beginning of the light bruising on her hips and faint love bites all over her neck and chest and he actively hated himself and Yoshimi for this further evidence of all that violent and possessive shit that they subjected Kim to.

 _Later, I'll think about it later._

When he was about to leave, Milton and Jerry showed up at the door. He flinched visibly at the sight of his friends. They, too, suffered like Kim did. He looked at Jerry, grateful that there were no bruising on his friend's face anymore. Not that he could ever forget the punch he threw at the other boy.

"Sorry, guys. I am sorry. For everything," he managed to say and almost bit his tongue. What were mere words in the face of all the crap he threw at them?

Milton and Jerry exchanged nervous glances and it was Milton who answered, "Jack, we understand. Really, we do. You have nothing to apologize for. You fought him off in the end. You are back. That's all we wanted. To have our friend back."

He did not think it was enough. And he did not think he could accept their easy forgiveness.

"How is she?" Jerry asked, uncharacteristically quiet and gentle.

Jack pulled her closer to his chest, pain and guilt washing over him again. "She is asleep. Miguel thinks she is recovering. She needs to be taken home and I need to stay close... until she wakes up," his voice broke a little, but guys acted like they never heard it.

"Ok, your car is still here. I can drive to her house."

So the four Wasabi Warriors left the temple together. Jack was carrying Kim with their friends flanking them like guards.

* * *

There was no sight, just dark and cold calm.

There was no sound except for the whooshing of wind.

Eventually, though, the whooshing faded, the quiet seemed to fill with noise, and the voices began.

"It's been 12 hours, Miguel—"

"I realize that, young man. These things can't be rushed. If she's not ready, she's not ready. Her soul, her mind, her body were through a lot. It's enough to keep her in this state for a bit"

"I've never hated my own health as much as do now."

"I understand your frustration. It would be helpful to know what's going on in there, wouldn't it?"

"Yes."

A sound of footsteps drowned out the rest of their words.

"When are they arriving?"

"I called them and convinced my dad that they can stay another day."

"That's good. Ii gives us another couple of days. I am not sure how we can explain this."

"Yeah, you're right Milton. But it doesn't help us any with this... this Sleeping Beauty shtick she has going on."

"At least the school is out for Winter Break."

Silence.

Someone's hands were cold. Then they moved away.

"What does Miguel say?"

"That it takes time. That she will wake up when she is ready, and so far she isn't."

"She looks better. Not as pale. She was practically a vampire white. And now she is back to her pretty self."

Hopeful, "oh, you think?"

Hesitant, "yeah, sure. Wait... I mean she looks healthy and stuff, ok?"

A sigh. "Jerry... We've been over this. I am sorry."

"Sure, sure..."

A brush of warmth on the cheek. "Kim, baby. We're all waiting for you."

Silence for a while, then, "Kim? It's Milton. I just wanted to… stop by and see you." Pause. "Miguel says we are supposed to keep on talking because we don't know how much you can understand, but I don't really know what to say. I do miss you. Hey, you need to come out of this, because, um, I need my partner for the presentation. I told you I don't have the necessary muscle tone." Wooden creaking. "I'm just going sit here for a while. He went to shower. Jack, I mean. He didn't want to leave you alone." Hand was enfolded in warmth. A quiet whisper. "Come back, Kim. Just… Come back."

More silence.

"Kim?" familiar low tones, playfully scolding. "I jus' hope you know how hard you are makin' it for me. It really isn't fair, you know. We're all really worried and here you are, comfy on your bed, not moving a bit. It's getting old, Kim. Jack's all messed up. He's, like, hurting. Visibly. And I blame you for making me say it... But girl, he loves you. And Milton, too. Loves you, that is. Not like that, but you get what I am sayin'. I think our nerd blames himself. And me too. I blame myself. I set Jack up with santero and look where it got you. So, like, wake up already. The other two are all mope-y. You don't want me to join them. Or we'll start an emo band. I am already this close to putting guy-liner."

More silence.

"Kimberly." A low-pitched and serious male voice. "I know what it's like to be tested beyond the boundaries of a human body's endurance. Not everyone can walk along with supernatural and leave unscathed. You're very courageous, my child. I know you haven't reached the limit of that courage yet. Please, for you beloved's sake, I'm asking you to come back to us."

More silence.

"Kim, baby. We are here alone now," silence again. "This is so strange. I've been here so many times since Halloween... And yet it feels likes I am an intruder now. God, what must you have thought of me then! I am so sorry... So, so sorry. There are no words."

A hand was brushed by fire.

"Your hand is so cold. Why is it so cold?"

Footsteps. Something heavy adding to the darkness. "Here, I got you more blankets."

The rough voice turned throaty. "Oh, hell. You looks so little ... what can I do? Please, what can I do?"

A husky laugh. "You realize how insane I sound talking to myself..."

A scraping sound.

"Kim, baby. Listen, you've gotta come back, ok? Everybody's worried sick about you. Almost 48 hours... Jerry is actually with Miguel, acting like an errand boy and bringing the tea."

Silence.

"And Milton is downstairs. He goes quiet every time he sees you and then goes over his little schedule. I think he blames himself for the timing." A derisive laugh. "I told him already that I am the only one to blame."

A throat cleared. "I think I know what's wrong with you… You're scared." A deep breath. "I get that. The whole thing was insane. But they're gone. Mariko and Yoshimi are gone. You did it, Kim. You made it all happen."

More warmth, tracing a line down the side of the face and neck.

"Kim, you're so cold." Pause. "Ok, you know what? Fuck this. I can _feel_ you being cold. Brace yourself, Kim; I'm getting in there with you."

Shuffling, pushing, gentle tugging. Being enfolded with warmth like a warm bath, covering from head to toes. It was…

It was amazing. She was getting warmer and warmer, like the sun slowly dawning over the dark landscape.

"Baby." Warm breath wafting across her ear. "Baby... Kim. I love you so much. I am a dick for not saying it earlier. But then, I didn't realize it earlier. I think I always loved you. I'll never let anything or anyone hurt you again."

Some more throat clearing and raspy coughs.

"I am so sorry I hurt you earlier. You are so brave. And insane. What you did, Kim... I-I can't imagine what you felt. I know how it was for me. He... he was in charge and I only got glimpses at first and... You make a beautiful bride. You realize that we are technically married, right? It's probably illegal, but the way Miguel tells it, what we have is a forever kind of thing anyway."

More silence, "I don't know how to say it, Kim. I am grateful. For everything you did for me. I can never repay you. Yoshimi... He was dark and like a poison and when he was gone, I felt light and bright. And I have you to thank for it."

Deep breath.

"But I also feel horribly guilty. What you had to do, what you have gone through, what he... no, I, did to you-"

A broken sob.

"I can never forgive myself. And neither should you. I don't deserve you. And you should not be stuck with me because of this supernatural shit... But I love you. And will love you forever."

A flash of pure light sparked in the center of her body and spread out like a supernova, pushing all the cold and fear away with the force of its expansion, shoving it through the boundaries of her skin and preventing its return. She gasped. Her eyelids fluttered, and then opened.

The first thing she saw was Jack's face, peering down at her. He was sprawled on top of her body, arms around her, eyes level with my own.

"Hey, Kim," he whispered.

She tried to speak, but her mouth was too dry and she just coughed. He reached to a bedside table and got a cup of now familiar drink with a bendy straw, then directed the straw into her mouth. "Here you go."

She swallowed, grimaced at the pain in the throat, and tried to speak again, only to discover that her voice was raspy and rough, as if she was sick with tonsillitis.

"Jack Brewer," she said slowly and carefully, trying to focus her eyes and getting lost in the familiar (oh, thank god) hazel, "What did you just say to me?"


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: This chapter is entirely in Jack's perspective. He is dealing with the aftermath, while Kim is in coma. It technically fits somewhere in the middle of the pervious chapter, but I needed some space to have Jack process things.

* * *

Jack made it to his house under a heavy feeling of being an utter failure. He was starving and yet could not imagine eating anything right now. His conversations with Miguel and guys... They were burned in his memory and he could not shake the feeling of having been a huge disappointment. The bond, the amazing and scary part of his being, felt like an extension of him. Like a limb that was extended out towards Kim. And there were feelings that he tried to ignore: he missed her terribly already, he was aware of how many miles she was away and how long it might take to get there. He also remembered, with some psychotic clarity, the texture and temperature of her skin under his hand and it was unbearable. He wanted to run back to her immediately...

He mechanically collected the clothes to change into. It has been a day (23 hours and 37 minutes) so far of Kim's coma and he was edging towards desperation. None of the reassurances from santero helped and he knew that it was his fault. He was weak. He let that monster occupy him the first time and Kim had to defend Milton (oh, god, Milton, who he wanted to _eliminate_ at the time). That apparently led to the magical moment of binding them together...

He was bound to Kim for life... Forever... And they were married... And they had sex... And were bound...

How was this his life? They were only sixteen... Who could say that they met their lifemate at sixteen? How freaking special he was... It was a big 'screw you' from the universe, it seemed.

 _Here you go, Jack. First we get you a ghost for a companion, you would not mind, would you? You see, this ghost was so sad he was away from his own soul mate. How about we get him to hitch a ride with you?_

The things was, it worked. Yoshimi got his happy ending, but the universe was not done with Jack yet. No, he got the special thank you in the form of the lifebond to the girl he was already in love with and who he basically fucked into oblivion (oh god, the bruises, the bites). And it was her first time too... He loathed himself so much...

On the surface it was perfect: he loved Kim without reservations. He knew he would do anything for her. And being bound to her was the least objectionable thing in this whole mess...

And apparently the mess included having sex with her to make sure she lived. What a lucky guy he was...

 _Here, sleep with this girl you love. She needs it. But before you get your hopes (and anything else) up, it wouldn't be you exactly. Remember that ghostly hitch-hiker? Yeah, him. He needs it too. And never mind that he is violent and forgot how to be human. And your girl? She agreed to it. Why, you ask? Because she loves you, you dimwit. Isn't she amazing?_

And she was amazing and remarkable... After everything he put her through... After all the jealousy and stalker behavior. After trying to isolate her from any guy friend and virtually monopolizing all her time... After watching her sleep like an obsessed psycho... Why, it had a 'fairy tale' written all over it... Beauty and the Beast, otherwise known as Stockholm Syndrome for kids.

And she was bound to him now, with no escape. She would hate him. She should hate him...

Jack was in the shower, his sarcastic and self-deprecating thoughts running in the loop. He scrubbed (scoured) his skin as hard as he could, as if the rough treatment would get rid of the poison that was his very being right now.

Hatred of himself, of Yoshimi, of circumstances, of fate swarmed in him, making him breathless at the strength of this emotion. It did not help that it was fueled by the shame and guilt that ate at him from inside and he felt cold... So cold...

He turned the water to near scalding and continued his punishing job of cleaning himself of sins.

Never enough. He could never repay her.

Just like that her image rose, melding in his mind's eye from a healthy and pretty girl into a pale and hauntingly beautiful young woman. Her gorgeous shimmering skin became alabaster white and blue veins stood out in sharp relief. And then all that beautiful pristine canvass was covered in pink and purple marks. His marks. His teeth, his lips, his hands... left those marks behind.

He doubled up in pain as despair and sadness and fear overwhelmed him.

 _Kim, baby, please, forgive me... I don't deserve you..._

He left the shower on shaky legs, the sense of despair and foreboding making him uneasy. He dressed and barely had time to finish buttoning his shirt when the bond, that extension of him that was pointing Kim-ward, snapped into him and squeezed his heart like a tight band.

Something was wrong.

He ran, suddenly no longer weak and morose, but alarmed and freaking out. He was in the car and tearing off the parking spot like he was a professional racer. He nearly run the light and had to slam the breaks, realizing then that he was barefoot.

If he could have punched himself in the face right now, he would have.

Instead, he pushed the pedal into the floor the moment the light changed to green, trying futilely to pretend he didn't feel much better than he had in two hours getting close to his girl.

He made to the house and to her bedroom, ignoring Jerry, who tried to say something to him, in what felt like minutes.

Milton was hovering over Kim, who was whimpering in her sleep and Jack shoved the other guy aside none too gently.

"She started whimpering and tossing about half an hour after you left. I tried to talk to her... She is also cold. Freezing. I was trying to warm her hands."

Jack already knew that because he grabbed her hand and it was very cold. He turned it around and brought her wrist to his lips, kissing it and checking the pulse at the same time. "Please baby..." he whispered and didn't even care that his friend was watching him.

He sat like that for a while, until Kim stopped moving and her skin warmed up.

It was only now he realized that his own feeling of cold dissipated.

Yep, more surprises from the universe. The bond made him aware of her in some unpredictable ways, it seemed. He could feel when she was distressed. After first shock of realization wore off he actually thought it was a good development. This was a guaranteed way for him to know when she needed him and it was the least he could do to Kim, after all the crap she had to put up with.

And then he had a horrifying realization: if he felt like that, did it mean that she felt it too?

* * *

After an hour with her, making sure her discomfort did not come back, he stalked to the kitchen to find some food. These days, he and the guys basically camped out in Kim's house and it was pizza and take-outs for them. He searched the fridge for something edible and found two slices of cold pizza. It'd do. He hardly felt any real appetite, but Miguel was stern enough to make it stick: Jack was supporting both of them and he needed to be strong.

"So, it usually does not take two hours to get to your house and grab fresh clothes," Milton said conversationally and Jack jolted to awareness at this.

"Took a shower too. Why?" they already went over his behavior and Milton was very understanding. Still, there was some residual unease that Jack felt about Milton. It wasn't that he thought that Milton wanted Kim. Rather, Jack thought that Milton (hell, anyone at this point) was better for Kim than him.

"She was very distressed. I thought at first that she was waking up, but she was having a nightmare. And I tried to sooth her, but I was not whom she needed..." Milton said it mildly and Jack still jerked away.

"I know," try as he might, he could not remove the bitterness form his tone. "Believe me, it would have been easier if she was bonded to someone like you."

"What?!" Milton's surprise was nearly comical. "Jack, what are you saying?"

"What am I saying? I am saying that she deserves better. And you are better." He said it quietly, but Milton heard and actually stood to face Jack.

"Jack, it is entirely understandable that you might feel this way. The whole experience was very intense and draining in her, but I assure you, I am not better than you." Milton said it with a firm conviction and Jack almost believed him. But then the shame and guilt came back and his shoulders slumped.

"You would have figured out that you were possessed right away."

"Not if the spirit was warping my worldview. Yoshimi's ghost was making some of your features stronger. I imagine if he possessed me, we would have had a serious disruption to a peaceful way of life here in Seaford," Milton delivered it confidently. "For starters, I would have had to eliminate you as my competition for Kim's affections. Since I don't have the same martial arts prowess, Yoshimi would have sought other means. And Jack," here Milton tapped his temple, "I know a lot of theoretical ways of eliminating competition." Jack nearly choked on the bite of pizza as Milton blithely continued. "Then there are Albert and Brett. I have very little regard for those two, so who knows what I would have done to them. And if I was keen on santero's cure, I would have finished it. And probably died. Together with Kim."

Even though Milton was speaking in hypothetical, Jack's heart seized in his chest at the thought of Kim dead. His face must have showed it, because Milton's expression softened into understanding. "Jack, I don't think I would have even bonded to Kim, like you did. Because while I love her, I don't _love_ her, you understand? I think the reason you bond was created in the first place wasn't just the magic of Halloween or the words and blood. I think those were the necessary steps, but the main condition for the bond to happen was already there."

Jack was thoughtfully looking at the remaining pizza, when Milton said that. He looked up to his friend, "Jack, you and Kim love each other. That's why the bond was even possible."

Milton left Jack to his thoughts and soon Jack went to Kim's bedroom, the bond tugging at him to get close.

* * *

After another night spent on the small sleeping bag on the floor, he woke up with a bad pain in the neck and even worse mood. Kim was still asleep, although she was not in distress and was much warmer.

He got downstairs, finding Jerry sitting on the living room's couch and flipping through channels. "Yo, Jack. Miguel sent a fresh batch of restorative. I helped to make it."

Jerry was clearly proud and any other day Jack would marvel at the fact that his friend was willing to learn something new, but today he was grouchy. "Didn't take you as a fan of botany. Or chemistry."

"Please, no hate, Jack. It's actually kind of cool. And its... I want to do it. I want to help," he sounded sheepish and Jack took a closer look at him. "I am kind of the reason she is like that, ya'know."

Jack was kind of stupefied, "No, I don't know. The only one at fault here is me." His tone was flat, but he felt the hot feeling of shame eating him inside.

"Oh man, look at you. I can see you being all emo from all the way here," Jerry said in dismay. "Jack, there are so many things and people that could be officially at fault, we'd need to start the list. And go all the way back to 200 years ago. Don't be all lone wolf here, ok?"

Jack scoffed at him. "Yeah, but in the end of the day, it was me, who was so weak I could not fight him off. And after the wedding..." he actually stopped himself realizing that he was talking to Jerry, who had a very dirty mouth.

Jerry's face showed real struggle not to say what he wanted and Jack almost wished he did, just to be done with it. But then his friend surprised him.

"Jack, man, don't be like that. You were not yourself. And Kim wasn't either. I don't think she would hold it against you. And it had to be done..."

"But that's the thing, Jerry. If I wasn't possessed, it would not have been necessary. And Kim, she might think it was necessary, but how soon before she resents what she had to do?"

"Why would she? She loves you, you love her. It was necessary-"

"How can she love me? What if it's the bond? That supernatural thing that twists our emotions and now we would never know if it was genuine love or this... this thing imposed on us? And Kim? She could have her choice of guys, why would she want to be with someone like me? I tell you Jerry, she is probably better off without me. Only now she is stuck-"

He did not finish his rant, because Jerry clocked him in the jaw. It was such a surprise, Jack did not even see it coming and stumbled into the chair. Jerry stomped over to him and towered over Jack for what felt like first time in their history.

"Shut up, you selfish jerk. Kim loves you. You. And it is not a pity or magic or something undeserved. You and her are, like, meant to be. And this bond, its just a bonus. A sure fire way to know it's forever. And you do not get to be all 'woe is me.' She made that decision because she loves you. If you were in her position, you would have done it too. And stop with this moping. I do not want to see her upset again." Jack startled at this and looked at Jerry again. "Yeah, that's right. I figured it out already: you were moping all over the place and she felt it. That's why she was upset. If you do something because you are being all noble and emo, and she is upset... I will find a way to beat you up. And I'll get Milton to help. And Miguel. And the priest. And monks. Comprende?"

Jack could only nod, marveling at his friend and secretly a little bit relived.

"Good. Now let's ice your jaw. I don't want Kim mad at me when she wakes up because I ruined her hubby's perfect face."

Soon Jack was sitting at the island, ice pack on his jaw, while Jerry was drinking coffee. When Milton came he took one look at Jack's sheepish face and Jerry's smug one and sighed loudly.

"At least you are even now."


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I was on the fence about posting the last chapter, but Superpsych96 has convinced me to do it. So, thank you, Superpsych96. If you haven't read his Kickin' It stories, please check them out.

In this chapter Kim and Jack finally talking without pesky ghosts around.

* * *

Kim's body felt tired, but not exhausted and weak like it had for the last several weeks. She could breath fully and her heart rate was steady, Well, that is not true. It was a little fast, but that was clearly because of Jack and his words.

When she spoke at last, he burst into laughter and kissed her, coma-breath and all, but then he pulled away too soon and sighed. "I should have said it sooner. Now you'd think its the bond that makes me say it..."

"Don't try and divert, Jack!" she managed, but had to let it go anyway, because the doors opened and Milton and Jerry came in, hesitant smiles on their faces.

Jack climbed of her and she instantly felt cold.

"Hey, there, Sleeping Beauty," Jerry said and winked at her. She was so shocked she actually let her jaw hang open and then looked at Jack to see his reaction.

This was when her jaw fell even lower. Jack was smiling, shaking his head ruefully at their friend. "Don't mind him, Kim. He's just testing this theory that I still have the jealous streak, independent of Yoshimi. So he keeps saying and doing shit like this."

"Hey, now. The nerd thinks its... What did you call it? Ah, results-based working theory. We need to know you limit, dude."

"Yes, Jack. Now that you and Kim are bound - and married - we need to know how far this connection goes. Everything about this is unprecedented." Milton had that squinty look about him and Kim just knew he was dying to do some tests and research on them.

Unsurprisingly it made her feel uncomfortable and Jack must have sensed it, because he just gave them both a middle finger and told them to leave.

The quiet between them was overwhelming and oppressive and she was acutely aware that she has not bathed or brushed her teeth for a couple of days.

Finally she screwed up her courage and turned to Jack again, "So, about that bond..."

He was already looking at her, his eyes tracing over the visible parts of her body in constant circle, until she stopped talking. Then his eyes lifted to hers and she almost could not handle the look on his face: awe, guilt, determination, stubbornness, and ... love.

"Yeah, the bond..." he trailed off and mulled something and she could not keep silent anymore.

"I am sorry!" she blurted out. The look on his face changed to incomprehension and she elaborated, "I am sorry, because it was me and my words and my kisses that made this whole mess happen!" she said, blinking the tears away. Something inside her rose like a wave, threatening to overwhelm her. Fierce protectiveness and pride and awe and some surprisingly hot anger. And love, so much love. She shook a little at this maelstrom of emotions and wondered if the possession by Mariko left something behind.

But when she looked at Jack she saw all of those things in his eyes. It was him! He felt all those emotions! They were his... Oh, wow, she felt his emotions.

She sat there marveling at this development, checking what was her and what were Jack's feelings...

"Yeah, that's a thing now. You can feel some of my stuff, apparently," Jack said as if checking a mental box on a checklist. "And I can feel some of yours." He did not sound particularly happy and she looked at him weary. "Don't. I can feel you being unhappy."

Oh, wow... This was... insane. She looked at him again and saw, and then felt, his remorse. "Stop! Jack, I am not unhappy about it. I just felt like you were unhappy... Ok, this is officially insane. Are we going to feel everything the other person feels?"

"Results based working theory," he said with a smirk and she felt a little bubble of humor, which was all her own. "Miguel believes that we will feel only the strong emotions, especially if we are close by. I have this hunch that it feels so strong right now, because we were almost separated before and we need to... rebuild, I guess."

That made sense, if emphatic bonds made sense. "How did you figure it out?"

"While you were out in your comatose sleep," she felt the gloomy darkness and despair over her and took his hand to give it a squeeze. "I felt like part of me was missing. It was so strange. At first I thought it was because Yoshimi was gone, but... I felt incomplete. And then I noticed that it would get worse if I was farther away from you. I would get this cold feeling inside and then I would be physically cold."

"Oh, I remember being cold..." she whispered thinking back on her dark and quiet coldness.

He looked at her sharply and then went on, "Yes, cold. And then one time I went to my house to grab fresh clothes and... I was a mess. Like I could not think about anything but getting back to you and I could feel this desperation..." he swallowed hard. "It might have been both of us feeling it, but... I don't think we can be apart for too long right now."

She sat and processed everything he said (and felt). "And you are unhappy about it."

He did not reply, but she did not need his answer. She knew it was the truth.

She was bonded to Jack. For eternity it seemed. And he was unhappy about it.

It was all her fault.

* * *

Jack was hit by the sudden upsurge of guilt and unhappiness and recoiled at the strength of it. Oh, it actually hurt his chest and made it difficult to breath. He almost brought one hand to rub the ache away, when he saw that Kim already was doing to herself. Oh, this was actually her. It was hard for him sometimes to separate their feelings, especially because he felt them too: the guilt and unhappiness. Only he blamed himself.

"Stop it, Kim!" he managed to say through all those emotions and it let go. "Wait... How did you do it? How did you make it be... less?"

"I... I don't want to hurt you. So it seemed to be less..."

Ok, this thing was really insane. He wished there was a manual to how the bond to your soulmate operated. Otherwise he might stuck in the middle of the movie about the horse and needing to cry.

"Ok, but why did you suddenly feel so guilty and upset?"

She was about to protest, but it died on her lips because, come on, he could feel it. Ok, maybe this was a benefit, he would not have to guess as to what she was feeling at least. That could come in handy.

"I felt your unhappiness. You are unhappy about the bond. And it's all my fault."

Damn, this thing really was unprecedented. Jack wished he could talk just about how weird it was to share feelings... But, he'd think about it later. First things first.

"I still don't get why you think it's your fault. We, none of us, knew that it would happen like that. I mean, I was possessed and you thought you were helping Milton. So you said what you had to. Who knew that some sort of magic was happening that would bind us. And, I said it too. I said I was yours."

Surprise, unadulterated surprise and confusion. "What? You said it?"

Now it was his turn to be surprised and confused, "Yeah, I did. Wait... Ughm, sorry. I did not tell you the truth before. I was there when Yoshimi possessed first. I mean I was there and could see and hear everything. I fought him and sometimes I had an upper hand. So, I did say that. And so did he. It was weird, but it that moment we were one."

Deep concentration and then cautious acceptance (and a little less guilt), "So, we both may have done something to bind ourselves?"

"Yes, pretty much. So, please, stop feeling guilty about it. We are in this together now."

"Literally," she said and he felt the bubble of humor that buoyed his mood.

Then the humor disappeared to be replaced with more gnawing guilt. "Kim. Please, stop it!"

"I can't help it, Jack. I... I... We are married and we c-c-consummated without you having anything to say about it!" she said forcefully and the wave of guilt crushed into him, threatening to pull him under.

He tried to hold off and not fall into that particular pool of memories, but his mind went there anyway. Flashbacks of her in white (so fragile and beautiful), her in bed (pale, weak), her naked form (bruises, bites), blood on her lips (please, please, stop it.) Sadness, guilt, love...

"Oh..." she made a choking noise and he emerged from the undertow of memories and see her wide eyes and feel her own muddled confusion and sadness. "I remember very little, Jack. Please don't feel guilty over it. I remember the drink being thrown out. I remember your face above me. I remember..." she blushed so hard he did not have to hear (or feel) to know what she remembered.

She remembered the same thing he did.

That final moment when Yoshimi (and Jack) felt the ultimate happiness and contentment and completion.

He may not remember much of that day after he chased Jerry to the shrine, but at least remembered that... perfect moment of utter happiness and togetherness.

"If I am not allowed to feel guilty over what happened to you, then you should not feel guilty over what happened to me," he said and it settled something in him. "I mean it, Kim. I have not been entirely myself since Halloween. And that day at the temple, he was in charge. He pushed me so deep down, I was not there. So, don't worry about the whole marriage and... sex part."

She was quiet, but he could feel her own anxiety subsiding. "So, we mutually forgive each other and stop this guilt-fest about entire day at the temple?" she summarized.

"I guess. And, to repeat, you are not at fault. You did what you had to."

Quiet was over them again and she gave him a long look, "Why do you still feel so unhappy?"

* * *

Kim turned and studied Jack's face. He stared straight ahead, like he was hoping that the wall by the bed would give him the strength to say... whatever it was that he had to do. She also had the sneaking suspicion that he was trying to figure out if he could simply get out of the room and run away.

She made every effort to be patient, but the time ticked by with agonizing slowness. She could feel the his waning resolve and general wretchedness. After five minutes she finally said, "Jack, look-"

"I am bonded to you." The words came out in a rush. "We are bonded to each other and I'm sorry. You should not be tied to anyone. Especially not someone weak and pathetic like me."

She blinked, suddenly getting the tinny ringing noise in her ears. "Wha... Jack, please..."

"Kim, I got possessed and could not shake it off. I could not discern what was me or him this entire time. You had to suffer, to endure, sacrifice... Kim, you gave up your virginity. Not even to me, but to this... this creature that was me and him and we... we... did not treat you well. How can you stand to look at my face and not recoil every single time?" Jack finally took a breath, rubbing his hands absently against his knees. "Anyway, yeah. That's it."

She sat there speechless at this.

"I meant what I said earlier. I am grateful for what you did. You saved me. You are amazing. And I l-l-love you. I really do."

She squashed the desire to return the sentiment, but the warm elation spread through her and he gave her piercing look.

"But I also meant when I said that you should not be stuck with me. Bond or not, you are only 16 and this... this bullshit has an eternity written all over it."

She had to duck her head, letting her hair fall forward and hide the face. "Oh," she said in a small voice.

"Yeah." There was a long, weary sigh. "I'm so sorry, Kim. Things shouldn't be like this." He took a deep breath, one that she could hear shaking in his lungs. "I wish I could make it go away, and then things can go back to the way they were." Jack's hands shook against the knees; whatever he was getting at, it was clearly torturing him. "But that's the point of this insidious bond, Kim. It is _so_ messed up, do you get it, our bodies are, like, wired towards each other and our emotions are mixed in. I felt your happiness at my confession, but it shouldn't _count_ , it's not real you, it doesn't..." his voice cracked, and he turned his face hurriedly away from her.

She glanced at this impossible boy in front of her and remembered all the crazy things he had gone through too. He did not have time to adjust to the notion of being together forever like she had. And even she really did not have time to process it. She was so focused on driving Yoshimi out and helping Jack, she did not have time to think on it too much.

"I want this to be just be us again, Kim, the way it was. You and I. Just dating. Just being teens. No supernatural mandate to be together forever. And if we get to be together forever, then it would be on our own terms."

Visceral hurt dug deep into her very being. He did not want to be bound to her, because he thought himself unworthy.

"Jack, I don't know where you got this idea that I don't lo..." but he interrupted her.

"Kim, don't you get it? Even this concern for me is because of the bond. It started on Halloween. We only dated for two months before that. And now, now you take crazy chances with ghosts and mixing magic of different worlds and you nearly die in the process! How is that normal? How is that natural? How can we ever know if you and I would have even gotten to 'I love yous' and the sex without this bond throwing everything out of whack? And now you are not even angry with what I did to you when we... we..."

The emotional hurricane that rushed at her at the moment was too much. Everything he felt - love, devotion, pride, adoration, guilt, suspicion, inadequacy, remorse, shame - all of it was amplified to the highest degree and was too much... Ah, last time she felt this awful about them was when he was going to...

And then it stopped. The emotional hurricane of the moment stopped to be replaced by calm and certainty. She felt it grow in her heart and it soon expanded through her and through her bond, which fell like an extra heart to her. It was a part of her now.

Jack must have felt it too because he looked at her curiously, head tilted to the side, and small smile beginning in the corner of the mouth. "What?"

She smiled again, feeling thousand time stronger than before and she tried to get out of the bed. She was still shaky on her legs and he steadied her by wrapping one arm around her waist and it felt... Warm, safe, incredible...

"Kim what do you need? I'll get it."

She started walking towards her dresser and tried to lower herself to the bottom drawer, but Jack got there first.

"Just go the far corner. See that box. Get it for me."

When she had it in her hands, she actually stopped and took a deep breath, which made Jack frown in concern.

"This is my treasure box," she said softly and caressed the metal lid.

"Is that...? That's the cookie box I gave you on Christmas our freshman year," his voice was awed.

"Yes, I ate them all and kept the box."

She opened it finally and the first thing there was the pasta necklace that he made for her in the summer camp.

"Kim..." she heard his choked whisper.

Cards, dried flowers, movie tickets stubs, little notes, doodles on pieces of paper and finally... the envelope. She pulled it out and with another fortifying inhale gave it him.

"This is the letter I wrote when I thought I won't see you for years. Before you decided not to go to Otai." She pressed into his hands. "Read it. And then tell me if you still think it's the bond that made me do what I did."

She shuffled slowly to the bathroom, "I am taking the shower."

He did not respond, staring at the letter as if it was a bomb. She left him like that, praying that it was enough. She could tell he was determined to hate himself and he genuinely thought himself unworthy, but she knew the truth. She knew that the bond was there because they already loved each other. She just wanted him to know it as well.

A/N: Just remember, Jack was dealing with life-and-death situations and now just began processing everything that happened.

I planned to have another final chapter, but some of you commented asking for a few more chapter of pure Kick. If you feel strongly about it, I can definitely do so. Let me know.


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: thank you so much for kind reviews. I will post have few more chapters to give you the sweet and fluffy Kick.

* * *

Jack stood by the dresser, the precious letter in his hands, and felt like he was on the precipice of the cliff. He knew the letter would be only the good news for him. He felt the certainty and a bit of shyness from Kim, so he opened it reverently and carefully.

Her loopy handwriting with its sharply inclined 't' and cursive 'r' swam in front of him and he blinked away the anxiety.

 _Jack,_

 _I can't believe it: you are actually leaving. Leaving home, family, friends. And me. I say it as if I have some sort of claim on you above and beyond that of the friend, but... I feel like I do. I am brave now, knowing you will only read this on the plane, when I am already miles away and won't die of embarrassment._

 _So, here it goes. I am sad, very sad, that you are leaving me. I want to spend my time with you and I think I can say it confidently that I will miss you more than the rest of Wasabi Warriors. They don't like you quite like I do. I 'like' like you._

 _It started as a crush, but it refused to fade and now, almost a year since I met you, I think it is no longer a crush._

 _I dreamed all sort of different scenarios, where you stay or I go with you, but my ultimate fantasy is you asking me out. And in my dreams I say yes and we are stupidly happy together._

 _I don't know anyone quite like you and I think any other guy, who might ask me out, would be measured against you and probably fall short. You are loyal and brave and a very good friend. You always strive to make a right choice and you always make us see what that right choice is._

 _I know it is sort of hopeless now, but I wanted you to know. Perhaps, when you come back, and I have not died of embarrassment, we might see if any of my little fantasy scenarios can become real._

 _I don't know if and when you'd come back, but I can promise you that I would never forget you, because no one forgets their first love._

 _Yours,_

 _Kim._

He re-read the simple letter three more times, stopping to think back to when he was about to leave. God, they were so young then. And Kim... She already felt like this. He mentally recalled his own missive, cringing at the pedestrian style and simple words, but... She was right, no one forgets their first love.

Only in their case, it seems that it would be their one and only.

She loved him She loved HIM!

He smiled and then simply could not stop smiling, his lips stretching wide. Happiness bubbled in him and soon it flowed through him, making him laugh for the first time since he 'woke up' and feeling light and bright.

She loved him for a long time...

He heard the water stop running and soon Kim appeared in a bathrobe and her hair wet. She still looked a little pale and far too thin, but her eyes were the same mesmerizing amber and her smile must have been as wide as his.

"So..." she said quietly and stopped.

She licked her lips and Jack flinched like he'd been pinched - just a subtle jerk of one shoulder. His eyes darted to her lips and the love and tenderness he felt deepened and grew a little darker. He wanted to kiss her so badly. _No, no, not yet, she's too weak._

And she sensed it too, because her eyes grew darker and darted to his lips.

"Kim... I... Letter... Argh... I can't believe we wasted so much time. I know I don't deserve you, but you love me and you are mine now, so... I am not giving you back," he said taking a large step to her. Eyes widening, she smiled at him and he just barely brushed a small kiss on her.

She looked disappointed, but he squashed the immediate need to make her smile again, by focusing on the fact that she was still weak and just woke up from the coma.

"And you need to eat. And drink the restorative," he busied with walking her to the bed. "Lie down and I'll bring you something to eat."

He was almost leaving, when she stopped him. "Jack, I love you."

"I know."

"Yes, and now you heard it, not just read it."

She was smiling and it was making him deliriously happy. "I can feel it too, you know." He gestured to his chest and she did the same.

"Yeah, I do."

* * *

Things moved quickly after their conversation. Jack served her food in bed, he and their friends joining her in her room. It was like the old times: jokes and conversation flowed form topic to topic. New movies, new games, new gossip. It was easy to forget all that they have gone through, but there were still reminders. Milton would glance at her occasionally with questioning and intent eyes, cataloguing her appearance. Jerry mentioned that the restorative she was drinking was actually partially brewed by him. Both he and Jack teased Milton about Stacy, who apparently was very impressed with his brain, as well as his ability to make her feel safe.

And, of course, there was Jack, whose eyes darted to her almost every other second. She caught his hand twitching towards her every time she so much as moved and he anticipated all of her needs. Always there and always gentle. It was incredible. She felt incredible.

Soon enough the guys had to leave. Her and Jack's parents were coming home and the Wasabi Gang tried to make all appear as if nothing untoward happened. She felt strong enough to leave the bed and the two of them waited until her folks showed up. Jack gave her dad a somber nod and a handshake and then he left to go to his house.

Her mom and dad chatted non-stop about the wine country and all the wonderful dining they had, and she talked to them as if nothing was amiss. It was so strange to go back to being a teen with parents, when her life changed so dramatically in the last several days.

She eventually claimed fatigue, making her mom's brow crinkle in concern, but she just wanted to lie down and just be.

Jack was texting her and she replied, the total of their fluffy exchanges could be summed up as schmoopy and sickly sweet. She did not care. She was happy.

She did not remember when she fell asleep, only that she was awake one moment and then she was dreaming.

It started as a completely ordinary dream (she was at school and they had some chemistry lab class), bu slowly it got less ordinary. The classroom was cold, so very cold. Kim could see her own breath come out and shivered slightly. It did not get better. The longer she was in the class, the colder she got, until she tried to use Bunsen burner as a source of heat and put her hands near it to get warm. The teacher saw it and yelled _KIM_ at her and the shocked movement sent the glass vials down clanking along the way.

She woke up with a start to realize that there was a knocking on her window and she heard _Kim_ faintly coming from outside.

 _Jack,_ her mind and bond were as one on this. She opened the window to let him in, feeling better already. Back in her bed, she waited for Jack to come closer, but he stayed where he was, nervously shifting his weight, his eyes never leaving her. After a minute of silence, she said, "Are you just going to hover by the window all night?"

"Guess not." Jack was trembling all over as he came forward, one small step at a time. Finally he came to a stop at the side of the bed, his knees brushing the edge of the mattress. "Can I hover here instead?" he asked throatily.

She nodded, her breath catching. "Yeah. That's fine."

He looked at her searchingly and she waited for him to speak, but he kept that constant loop of looking over her face and body as if...

"I am ok, Jack. I am safe."

"Safe," he repeated, the word more mouthed than spoken. "I dreamed that you did not wake up," he whispered finally. His eyes came up to meet hers.

"I did, though." she answered quietly, heart thudding violently against the ribcage.

Jack tried to speak, but no words came out of his mouth. After a long moment, his gaze dropped to her neck. Then, with a shaking hand, he reached forward. Blazing heat trailed across her throat as he very, very carefully brushed the tips of his fingers under the jaw and applied the slightest pressure.

He was feeling for her pulse. The dream must have been intense...

That, just the barest touch along her skin, was almost too much. "I'm awake, Jack," she told him as his thumb grazed her chin. "Really."

In an instant he was scrambling into bed next to her. His legs tangled with hers and his face pressed against where her throat curved into the collarbone; she wrapped her right arm around his neck, using the crook of the elbow to hold him in place, as close to her as she could manage while actually remaining two separate people. His rapid, shaky exhales burned as he smelled her skin.

Then his hands dropped to her waist and frantically pushed the tank top up to just below her breasts. She stiffened in surprise at his boldness, and he started babbling, "It's not that, it's not that, it's ok, I promise I won't, don't worry..." He kept up a steady stream of desperate reassurances into her neck as his large, rough fingers quickly spanned across her stomach, feeling the outline of each rib, dipping his thumb into her navel, touching every inch of the belly before one hand dove between her body and the sheets and stroked the small of the back. The other hand came up to her face, his palm pressing against her cheek before brushing across her lashes, eyebrows, forehead, then tangling loosely into her hair. She couldn't see or hear or feel anything that wasn't Jack.

Beginning from somewhere deep inside her bones, she felt the most delicious, wonderful warmth spread through her body.

It took several minutes before Jack was calm enough to slow down. Finally his hands stopped roaming and came to rest on her upper arms, his thumbs rubbing small circles into her skin. The breath from his long, shuddering sigh whispered across Kim's ear.

"Hi, Jack," she whispered.

She felt his laugh rather than heard it. "Hi, baby," he replied thickly.

"Are you all right?"

He paused for a long moment, then nodded against her shoulder. "Think so." He rubbed his cheek along my throat. "You?"

"Better now. I dreamed I was in chem class. And so cold..." she smiled ruefully.

Jack returned her smile, then a confused expression crossed his face. He held her fingers to his cheek, then stroked a hand along her side again. "You feel warm."

"I know," she said, delighted. "Now, I do."

They stared at each other and she thought if this was going to be the new norm for them: the cold and the need to be close.

Jack sighed again and whispered, "I really don't care if I have to sneak in here every night. I'd rather not have that nightmare again."

She smiled into his hair, "every night? You are bound to get caught by my dad."

"I'll have to declare my intentions to him then," he mumbled and then lifted his head to look at her. "I mean I love you. And we are already married."

She only smiled in return and they kept a tight embrace until she fell asleep.

When she woke up feeling refreshed and ready for the day, she was alone in the bed, but there was a note on her nightstand. She opened it and got up quickly, earning herself some momentary dizziness... It was the letter. The letter. The Otai letter.

 _Kim,_

 _I guess I left for Otai, is you are reading this. I sat down to write it and now feel like I have nothing to say. I will miss you. A lot. And I mean a lot more than anybody else. I had thought a lot because I am going to Otai and I think I know why. I like you. Like, a lot. When I met you in the cafeteria, I was just a new kind and I wasn't sure if I will fit in. But you and guys became my friends and it was the best thing ever. You are the best. A best friend, And really, my crush. I know, I teased you about you crush on me, but honestly, I was only kidding. You are so great, you can have any guy (even the doll-head), so you crushing on me is ridiculous._

 _I guess what I am saying is that I wish it was true. I wish you liked me like I like you. I would have liked to ask you out, to date you, to be your boyfriend. Maybe when I come back, I will not feel like such a coward and I'll ask you then. I hope, really-really hope that you'd say yes._

 _Jack._

She was teary by the end of the letter, remembering how they were back then: gangly teens forever stuck in that state where neither would say anything for fear of being rejected. She was glad they were past it, even if they had some extraordinary events push them to this new understanding.

She went to get ready for the day ahead with light heart and pep in her step.

The plan for the day was to visit Miguel and the priest. Both men wanted to see Kim wake and she had a few more rounds of "thank yous' to offer to them. Jack was to pick up guys and come and get her.

She was waiting on the front steps when they pulled up. She got to her feet almost the moment the engine of the car was cut, but the movement wasn't as quick as she knew it could have been; in fact, she was still slower and more tired than usual. Her dad was with her on the porch (no doubt making sure she did not pass out) and narrowed his eyes as he took a sip of his coffee. "I did not realize it was going to be a group outing..."

Before she could say anything, Jack interjected right away, "The semester is over and all of us have very little to do. No homework, no training, no extracurriculars..."

His words were to her dad, but his eyes were on Kim, taking quick glances over her face and body. She blushed deep. She supposed she'd have to get used to Jack looking at her like that after they'd been apart, even if it was only for a few hours.

Her dad nodded and told her to be back for dinner.

She did not think either of them paid attention.

"So... To Miguel's?" he quirked one brow and offered her his hand.

They touched and the warmth was shocking. She did not realize she was chilly until that moment, "Wow..." she marveled.

"Yeah..." was his response.

Kim laughed because their awe was identical and it was funny and amazing. She lifted to her tip toes and kissed him soundly.

"What was that for?" he smiled, holding her close.

"You were cute when you were younger," she answered and saw in his face a trace of embarrassment.

"Oh?"

"Yes. Very cute."

They could handle this thing. Together.

* * *

Miguel was in the back yard as usual and gave Kim the fresh batch of restorative immediately. She blushed at all the concerned fussing he was doing and Jack was stupidly happy to see that blush. She was so pale lately...

Kim had a box to give him and Miguel tried to wave it off, "Kim, my child, I told you that I felt awfully responsible for the state you have found yourself in. You really needn't have bothered."

"I understand, sir. But this is not exactly a present," she answered quietly and opened the plain white box in her hands. "This is something I thought you'd appreciate and maybe use..."

In her hands was a thin notepad, a journal, with no markings on the front. Stuck in it were print outs of some dense text and Jack looked curiously on.

"These are my and Milton's notes that we have been taking ever since we suspected that there was something off with Jack. And later, when I found out that Yoshimi was likely bound to me," she shivered delicately and Jack, pulled by his own feeling of cold, stepped up to her and wrapped one arm around Kim's shoulders.

Miguel looked at the notes with great interest and even opened the journal, "This is, in fact, incredible. I especially want to know how it was when my cure was used."

They chatted a little more and left with promises to stay in touch. Jerry was already a frequent visitor and Miguel had treated Kim and Jack with certain curiosity as fellow humans, who were possessed by otherworldly beings.

Next was the temple. The priest was very pleased to see Kim awake and solemnly shook Jack's hand. It was Jack's turn to give presents.

"I... I have stolen the translation of Yoshimi's journal. I would like to return it to you," he was very embarrassed, but the priest only nodded his thanks and took the book.

"And I have something for you, Kim," he pulled a large box and gave it to her. "I don't know if you ever would have a need for this, but it is, in a way, yours. You should keep it."

Kim opened the lid and Jack saw the shimmering white-pink silk. It was the bridal kimono. Kim's hand smoothed over the fabric, trembling ever so slightly. His bond told him that she wasn't upset, just overwhelmed.

"I... I think of it as Mariko's. It belonged on her. But... it is a keepsake, if nothing else. I wonder if some time later, when it does not feel so immediate, I would want to look at it to remember this crazy adventure by..." she finished with a sigh and smoothed the fabric again.

"You are always welcome here, Kimberly. All of you are. I don't think we had anything quite like this take place here in a long while."

They left the temple feeling a little more somber, but it did not last long. They were very young after all. Their spirits were buoyed by the festive season, their own youth, friendship and love.

* * *

There were more visits throughout the winter break. Kim hasn't been to the dojo and Rudy's exuberance was predictable as his harebrained scheme at advertisement, which saw the dojo hosting a holiday party to the neighborhood kids in an attempt to entice enrollment. Of course, in a typical Rudy fashion, there was no Santa Clause (he hatched the idea too late to get a proper performer) or even a program at all. There were also no gifts. So, it was up to the four Wasabis to come up with the solution. Bobby was the best choice for Santa and he performed with his usual haughty grandness, but the gift were great (none of them would mention it, but they pitched in the money, until Bobby waived it off). Boys, as part of the Santa's crew, put on a performance of them 'packing' the gifts into a sleigh, using a combination of karate and dance to make it an entertaining music number. Kim, who was recovered enough, played the Snow Maiden (or Elsa from Frozen as some kids guessed) and lead the children to a few rousing renditions of Christmas songs. She made them chant for Santa and when he appeared, jolly and with a bag full of gifts, it was to an eruption of cheer and laughter.

Jack and the guys were in the crowd s and it was amazing how good Jerry was with kids. It must have been because of his larger family; he had that easy way of talking to them as if he were their equal. Kim insisted that Grace come and help too and smiled secretively when Jerry and Grace paired off entertaining a group of kids by themselves and, if Jack wasn't mistaken, they were close to an understanding.

Even Stacy Uri showed up. It was obviously a surprise to Milton, who first paled, then turned a fetching shade of red, but managed a civil greeting. Jack smirked at his friend, who obviously tried to impress the girl. Of course, it being Milton, there were random factoids and mini lectures thrown at her about various holiday traditions. Stacy matched him with stories of her own and then dazzled him with a thorough description of some scene in some sci-fi book centered around winter holidays and Jack could see that she got Milton: hook, line and sinker.

All of this was happening around him and he took note, but majority of his attention was on Kim. She was so beautiful in the blue costume with thick braids wrapped around her head and trailing down her back. He wondered how she managed to keep the wig in place. Her make up was shimmering, as was the transparent over skirt (organza, it is called organza, Jack). She was still a little too thin, but it actually helped, because it made her waist look impossibly slender and the big skirt made her look positively fairy-like. She sang and danced, hugged kids and let them touch her dress and hair to make sure she was real. It was so... so... He had a fleeting image of her with other kids. Maybe less glamorous, but equally beautiful, and kids may or may not have had dark hair and hazel eyes... He did not dwell too much on what it meant, but that image made him happier than he had any right to be.


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: As promised, here is a fluffy and romantic Kick chapter. I think I will have two more chapters.

* * *

By mutual agreement, Jack and Kim were taking it slow. Or as slow as it could be done when they were already connected. Jack felt like while Kim was recovering, absolutely nothing strenuous (or exiting) could happen. Kim pouted and sighed, but had to agree with her boyfriend. She was still not hundred percent and occasionally would get winded. Only now there was no hiding it: Jack knew when she was unwell.

They also had discovered that Jack's hunch was right: the more time passed spent together, the less urgent was the need to be with each other. He still showed up most of the nights at her place, but it wasn't as intense as that first time after she woke up.

A full month has passed since the day at the temple and the biggest test to their new bond was about to take place. Jack was going for a tournament and Kim had to stay behind. Even her dad, who was Jack's biggest fan, had disapproved of letting Kim come along. Jack, the worry wart, made sure she had a fresh batch of restorative and left with Rudy at the absolute latest time.

She felt like Argonaut's wife or something, waiving to the back of the car as her man went on his adventure. She chuckled to herself and went back home, fully determined to finish her homework. Her resolve lasted until about an hour later, when Grace called.

"It's a girls' night in today," she said without saying hello. "And we need ice cream."

"Oh? What...?" She recovered soon enough. "OK. Wanna come here?" Grace agreed and Kim had another idea, "Do you mind if I invite Stacy?"

"No at all. It'll be like the WAGs of Wasabi Warriors," Grace laughed and Kim's heart thudded a little. Grace didn't know, did she? Oh, if Jerry blabbed to her that Kim and Jack were technically married... "Of course, there are no wives, but you know what I mean," Grace went on and Kim relaxed.

So, in about an hour the three girls were in Kim's room equipped with ice cream and Kim's choice of entertainment, which wasn't anything romantic or magical. It had zombies and scrappy survivors and it was gloriously gory. Stacy was like a female Milton, providing theories on how anything of this kind was possible, while Kim laughed at all the action.

It was about an hour into the movie that Grace finally said what she prompted her to call in this girls' night in.

"So, Brody asked me out..." Kim paused the movie and turned to her friend.

"How come I didn't hear about it?" This was a huge piece of gossip and she hadn't heard a peep.

"Uh, because I haven't told anyone." Grace was serious. This was serious.

The thing was, Kim wasn't sure Grace and Jerry were a thing yet, and Brody was admittedly a popular guy.

"I mean, I am Team Jerry all the way, but why not Brody? Even if just for one date," Stacy asked directly.

"Not my type." Grace's response was curt.

"You have the type?" Kim inquired enjoying Grace's blush.

"Don't we all?" was Stacy's contribution. "Mine clearly is brainy dudes." Her smile and blush were so cute, Kim burst into laughter.

"And mine is a guy with hero complex." Girls laughed even harder at that, Stacy going so far as to strike a heroic pose with flexed muscle.

"What about you, Grace? Someone who can dance?"

She blushed, but her response from was surprisingly serious, "someone, who is a good friend. A loyal friend. Someone, who is capable of being friends with a girl."

"Well, that's cuts out most of the guys. I think only Wasabis can fit the bill." Stacy smirked and added, " and it doesn't hurt that they are good-looking. Have you seen Jack's arms?"

In a move too graceful not to be measured Grace turns to Stacy, crossing her legs so she faced the other girl "I hardly think Milton would appreciate hearing that." It's strange to be openly speaking about Milton with a girl who wasn't Julie, buy Milton and Stacy were a thing now.

"Milton has the best legs, like—have you seen those pins?!"

Grace murmured appreciatively, Kim blushed and looked away which was a sure sign she'd checked them out. (Hey, fair was fair: half the girl ogled Jack, she could look too.)

"And Jerry has best moves. And sense of humor. And is good with kids..." Kim and Stacy looked at Grace and burst into laughter.

Girls' night in was just what the doctor ordered...

She only grew cold when it was full twenty four hours after Jack left. Her dreams were of her being cold, but not nightmares. Still, by the time he got back three days later, she was antsy, with restless legs and dressed in her warmest PJ's with the robe on top. Where she heard the scraping on the window, she shot out of her bed and scrambled to open it.

Jack was here, triumphant and very much tactile, like that first night.

She was finally warm.

That night Jack finally allowed himself to do more than just kiss her.

* * *

Another month passed and they were into February already. They both managed to learn to control some of their emotional connection, Kim's trick of not wanting to hurt the other party being the key. They also learned that they could spend more than a few night apart, buy got increasingly upset and cold until they reunited.

And they dated. Properly. Jack took her out to movies and dinners, and simply hung out with her whenever she was not busy. And she was busy. Her health returned fully and she was finally getting back to her activities.

This morning she woke up with to soft peppered kisses on her lips. Kim hummed quietly as her eyes blinked open to see Jack hovering over her, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. His hair was messed up from the night, and his eyes were filled with warmth as he cupped her cheek.

"Good morning," he said, before placing another kiss on her lips.

She smiled at him, as she sat up ever so slightly. He was holding a small bouquet of wildflowers and a box of truffles from the Swiss bakery.

"What's the special occasion?" she asked slightly, as Jack slipped back into bed with her.

"Well, there is this tradition, known as St. Valentine's Day," he said, in a knowledgeable tone. "That it is the day than one show's their loved ones how much they care about them. So I plan to spend this day showering you with affection this entire day."

She supposed she really should have seen such a thing coming. These past few weeks Jack has been very affectionate in the most unexpectedly romantic ways. Kim would not lie to herself, she loved every minute of it. She wondered if the flowers and chocolates were it or if he had something else planned.

She felt her heart melt slightly as she moved closer to his warm body, before opening the box and taking a bite of the treat.

"Mmm," she said with a sigh. He had been watching her somewhat expectantly, "This tastes really good, Jack," she complimented. "What flavor is this? I can taste raspberries..."

He grinned at her expression, "I know you like them and you like chocolate. I asked the bakery if they had some unique way of combining them and they did. You are eating a custom made truffle."

She leaned closer to him and kissed him slightly on the corner of his lips, "Thank you," she said softly, "For this. I didn't want you to have worry about planning anything since you are so busy with practices."

It was true. Jack was busy with the football, basketball and karate and she wondered sometimes if he would drive himself to exhaustion.

He frowned, "I would gladly plan days like this, or just normal dates, Kim. Anything which means I get to shower you with affection."

"You are spoiling me," she said softly, as she looked down.

Jack brushed a strand of hair out of her face, "Well as long as you'll have me in your life, I can promise you many, many more of these events."

She smiled as she rested her body against him, "I think I'm going to keep you around for a long time then," she said softly.

It was weird to think about. A few weeks ago, such a statement from her would have sent any teen boy, Jack included, running for the hills. But the events since Halloween changed everything and now this was a running joke between them: to talk about forever and always.

"I'm glad," he said with a smile, "Because I plan on staying with you for some time; quite possibly forever."

Here it was and right on cue both of them laughed.

She kissed him, properly this time, and his hand wrapped around the back of her head, pulling her in to deepen the kiss.

When Kim pulled away, she was breathless.

"Do you plan on telling me what we're doing for the rest of today?" she asked, feeling slightly curious.

He shook his head, "I'm not planning on telling you, baby. This day will serve as a surprise for you. So I will not spoil it by telling you."

She grinned as she watched him take a bite of her treat, and used her finger to wipe off a smudge from his face.

If this was what having a valentine's was like, then she supposed she could get used to it. She had to admit that having someone care for her as he did had a way of making her feel special.

It turned out that he had indeed planned the entire day, with everything from a horse drawn carriage ride, private viewing of Breakfast at Tiffani's in the old theater, a walk in town, and a dinner at the restaurant they had their first date.

At the end of the day, she was absolutely exhausted. But she would be lying if she said that it hadn't been the most romantic Valentine's day she had ever had. And later that night, when she was thanking him for the day, he did not stop himself as usual and she ended up topless and he with naked torso and she took great pleasure in driving him a little crazy.

* * *

Wasabi Gang and Grace were sitting at Phil's, having met there pre-movie trip. Stacy was planning to meet them there. Jack was checking his schedule, trying to fit everything he needed and everything he wanted into the tight and neat timeline. He was kind of ready to drop at least one team sport from his life, but it expanded his college choices later on and his dad was proud to have a football playing son. He was so engrossed in his task, he hardly noticed anyone else or their conversation. He know through his bond that Kim was content at the moment and that was all he needed.

In the four months since the consummation, their bond settled even more. They didn't need to spend nights together, because seeing each other at school seemed to be enough. They hardly got cold these days either. Most of the time he got just muddled impressions of Kim's feelings, unless it was something of great strength. It was like Miguel said it would be.

He finally finished his schedule and listened in.

"I am telling you, these days you have to spend so much money on any outing. Between the food and tickets to movies, theaters, museums or games..." Jerry grumbled and Grace waived her hand at him.

"Hello! That's why I am suggesting splitting things fifty-fifty. And don't try to give me the macho talk!" Grace huffed and Jerry just nodded.

"I am sure it's possible to have an inexpensive date," Kim began and everybody snickered and looked at him at this point.

"What? I am not even sure what are we talking about," he dismissed them and felt Kim's amusement.

"Jack, you have been pampering Kim with all sorts of romantic stuff. It's making all of us look bad," Milton said gently and everybody laughed.

They went to movies, but the conversation stuck in Jack's head.

Later he asked Kim if he was going over the top.

"I guess I can understand your attitude. But... I don't want you to do everything so perfectly as if you are trying to pay for your mistakes. We deciced that dwelling on guilt is unnecessary. And you can relax a little, you know. We have forever, you have to pace yourself."

He could only kiss her in response, feeling like he was found out. He did still feel, not guilty exactly, but not entirely worthy of her.

Kim deepened the kiss and he went with it, feeling her forgiveness in every gentle caress.

"Jack," she whispered. "I regret nothing. My life has changed that day when I wandered into cafeteria and dropped my apple and you caught. Do you remember? You have always kept me safe. I can't imagine my life without you; I don't even want to think about it. I love you and I am not going anywhere."

His arms pulled her in a tight bear hug and he brought her on top of him. Their bodies were pressed so close together that there was not an inch of space between them. He felt all of Kim's delicate frame flush against his own - soft against his hard muscle. He knew that she felt his obvious hard on digging into her hip and she instinctively moved her leg over his body so that she was straddling him. His breath hitched and his hands moved slowly down her back and into the groove of her waist, the touch making her shudder with anticipation.

After Halloween and until the consummation, they had shared many passionate make out sessions. After... not so much. The rare times he let his guard slip, the desire between them was intense. Jack suspected that the bond amplified their feelings and the empathic connection ensured she felt what he felt and vice versa. It was always he, who put a stop to things when they progressed too far. He either felt guilty or protective because of her health. But she was better now. Lately it had been much harder to put the brake on things. He was constantly fighting with what his body instinctively wanted to do, and right now, with Kim's hands wandering over his body, he was in no mood to stop anytime. She _wanted_ him just as much as he did her.

Jack felt Kim become pliant in his arms and he took full advantage. His hand slipped under her t-shirt and massaged the skin along her back. He felt her press her breasts along his bare chest and he groaned. His fingers found the clasp of her bra and he snapped it open. Holding his breath momentarily, Jack waited for Kim to protest, but instead she captured his lips with hers quickly before pulling away and yanking her t-shirt off in one quick movement.

"You're so beautiful, Kim," He murmured as his dark eyes drank her in. Kim's lips were red and pouty from all the kissing. Her pale skin was smooth and silky under his hands. A faint red flush ran down her chest and into the valley between her breasts.

He saw her swallow nervously and felt her shyness and anticipation. They gazed at each other for an instant before Jack wrapped her in his arms and rolled them over so she was lying beneath him. He supported his weight on his arms as he pressed his lips to hers and began to kiss her fervently. Kim's hands moved to explore the skin along his back and he felt her fingers wander along every dip and groove of his muscles.

It was driving him crazy. He felt so much heat and it all polled in his lower belly and he honestly thought he might just combust. Alongside his fervent _want,_ he felt the lighter, but no less intoxicating _need_ that was all Kim. This heady feedback loop was quite a bit to take in and he wasn't sure how much longer he could last.

They managed to lose the rest of their clothing in hasty, slightly uncoordinated moves, and he finally was skin to skin with her.

"Oh... baby... I want..." he managed in a low rumble and she shuddered in response, digging her small hands into his lower back, bringing him closer to her.

 _Oh, she could have it all._

He dropped the weight of his lower body completely onto her and the movement nearly made him go cross-eyed.

 _Yesssss..._

He ground into her again and again, enjoying the feeling and knowing (actually experiencing) how it felt for her. It felt good, so good. So he repeated it again and again.

Kim, smart and wonderful, wrapped her legs around him and now it was almost too much. His head dropped down, the little pink nipple right on front of him and he had to taste it.

She whimpered and did an interesting circular motion with her hips that just about made him come. It must have felt as good to her as it did to him, because she repeated it: her movement a counterpoint to his continued and relentless grind and the spark that he felt came from Kim.

Oh... She was getting close...

He thrust harder and harder, Kim's little moans and whimpers driving him on, as their mutual desire threatened to overwhelm him. He sucked her nipple in hard and the response he got through the bond was a blinding spike of heat. He repeated it again and added a little bite, which made Kim gasp and the spark from her flared hotter.

Soon, there was hardly any thinking. Just feeling and sensation, the spark and heat and want...

He could tell that she was close, the tightening of the coil he felt was different from the sensation of trail burning down his spine that he got when he was close. He moved faster, bringing his hips flush with her in a punishing pace and he would normally have stopped, horrified by his own aggressiveness, but she liked it. _Liked it_. So he gave in to this need to fuse himself with her and was rewarded with a sob from Kim and the feeling of the coil exploding and releasing.

Just in time too, because the heat, finally shot down his spine, as if an electric current run through him, and he came with a near roar...

Some time later, when his recovered his wits and had enough strength in his limbs to bring some towels to clean them up, he thought that the bond was extremely useful in bed.


	31. Chapter 31

It was the last day of school. After today they would be done with Junior High year and while others just enjoyed the prospect of summer break and vacations, Kim and Jack were planning their time around their need and desire to be close. So far they survived being apart for a whole week, but both were increasingly cold and miserable. Jack snapped at every one and managed to punch Randy for 'being impenetrably stupid,' and Kim actually broke into tears when Jerry mentioned her boyfriend in her presence.

That was an interesting development. Apparently Jack felt like she would fare better if she was not alone, so her friends stuck to her all the time that Jack was away for a week. It was the most time she spent with Jerry and it probably was a good thing that Milton was there to break them up. Kim was ready to beat Jerry up herself. It was only her loyalty to Grace that stayed her hand.

And it was all his fault. For starters, he climbed the window of her room the first morning that Jack was away. Kim promptly smacked him on the head with a book and, once she realized it was her friend, she proceeded to yell at him for nearly giving her a heart attack. Worst thing still, Jack felt the spike of fear and anxiety from her and called her frantic and scared, ready to ditch the team and the tournament to be with her. She barely managed to pacify him, and then had to hide Jerry, because her dad came in knocking since he heard the noise of struggle in her room.

Then, Jerry accompanied her on the bus to school and she never knew just how gross guys can get, when there was no girls or Milton around to elevate the conversation.

Then he followed her around the school, pestering her for random things, like pens, pencils, paper and, ultimately, for lunch. By the time lunch rolled in, she wanted to go back home and mope around. Only Jerry was very persistent and glued himself to her side and, since Grace was his girlfriend, it was three of them going everywhere. Jerry even stalked the bathrooms, when Kim and Grace went in.

Then it was Milton's turn. Although he actually came through the front door. And stayed for breakfast. At school he grilled her before each class if she had done her homework and after school he stayed with her to actually finish all the homework together. Because it was Milton, they were done early and at his request, they ended up watching documentary about meteors and Kim reported to Jack all about the fireball that fell in Russia. Jack laughed and told her that she would be doing his homework from now on.

So it went on like this the entire week. Still, by the end of it, Kim was constantly cold and hardly slept and the tugging of the bond made her rub the ache away almost every minute. That was when Jerry unthinkingly asked her what she plan to do for the summer break, when there would two and half months of no school and no assurance that she'd see Jack daily. That's when her misery multiplied and she started crying despite monumental efforts to keep tears at bay. She ran to the bathroom, Grace and Stacy following her, and tried to make herself presentable again.

Of course, Jack felt it and he called her, voice tight with worry and trying to sound casual, because he was on the bus with his teammates. He reassured her that they were on schedule and that he'd see her after school promptly. She hang up, the bond mollified and not as painful.

"If I didn't know any better," Stacy said thoughtfully, "I'd say that Jack sensed your distress. But that's just not possible."

Grace, who was rummaging through her makeup case to find some wipes, said back, "I think it is possible, if people love each other very much. Or Jack missed her."

Kim just smiled as she tried to coverup the dark circles (she did not sleep last night at all). If only these girls knew.

* * *

The summer break was tricky to schedule. Kim really did not want to be separated from Jack for more than a week, but her parents wanted to go travelling in Europe for a couple of weeks and she was torn. Jack laughed that it was be a great test for them to see if their bond worked over long distances and extended period of time. She was not so cavalier about it. And she knew, even thought Jack tried to hide it, that he was anxious too. Their goodbye the night before her flight was bittersweet as Jack took it upon himself to make her feel as good as he could, but the prospect of being apart was a permanent cloud of them and when she came last time silent tears run down her face.

In the next two weeks they learned that the bond worked over long distance, as Jack was awake the first night because he kept getting her impression of awe and excitement from sigh-seeing in Europe. Once she figured it out, she tried to keep it under the lid, but discovered that she would get impressions of Jack's dreams. And apparently they were about her and him being intimate, because a spike of want would hit her in the early evenings when it was early morning for him. That led to an interesting conversation and even more interesting phone sex. Once they realized that between talking and feeling each others' emotions they could have very effective relief, it was something they did every day. Kim was beyond feeling ashamed as the satisfaction that their sex life brought her made the separation bearable.

Still, by the time the trip was over, Kim was ready to spend the next eternity next to Jack in constant contact, as the ache from her bond was nearly unbearable and her ennui made her parents worry that her mysterious disease came back.

The rest of the summer they spent together. Kim had convinced her parents that felt fine and could do some volunteer work to booster her resume. Her and Milton worked with the city hall to continue the digitization project that Seaford was going through. Milton did an amazing job with the Takanada family and, once he revealed it to their volunteer coordinator, he and Kim were working exclusively on tracing the history of the Japanese Americans in the area. It resulted in almost weekly meetings with the Temple and their records and Kim could honestly say that she got to learn a lot about the history of the country from this project.

Jack and Jerry were helping Rudy with his summer camp for younger kids. They saw each other every evening and the bond settled again, reassured that they would not be apart for too long.

* * *

When their school year started, Kim had injured herself the first cheerleader practice they had. It was just a sprained ankle, but the entire squad was treated to a scene of Jack bursting into gym, wild eyed and panting, and then running to her. His hand shook as he checked al lover her and she was overwhelmed by the sheer force of his anxiety and fear. It took him a little while to calm down and he practically threatened to carry her in fireman's hold, if she did not let him carry her.

The next few weeks they had near constant arguments over her health and whether or not her physical activities were something to worry about. Of course, Kim was perfectly fine if Jack was near her, so karate practices were not an issue. Only cheerleading and gymnastics. It was infuriating and she let him feel it.

Kim was pretty sure they almost broke up one night. It was one of their usual arguments concerning her safety (or possible lack thereof) and Kim was just getting fed up with Jack's stubbornness. She felt unusual levels of frustration and was too mad to realize that it was not all her own. So she screamed in frustration and threw the first projectile she could find across the room at him, which just happened to be her phone. Lucky for him (and her), he caught it with those annoying fast reflexes of his, sparing it from hitting the floor and breaking. When Kim's brain had finally caught up with her actions, she stared in horror at the phone in Jack's hand. Yes, she and Jack have had arguments like this before, but neither one has ever thrown something at the other.

Kim finally looked up at him, fully expecting Jack to just turn away from her in some kind of dramatic fashion. Instead he just rolled his eyes, sat down on the bed behind him while asking her if he should grab a pillow to use as a shield. The way Jack was just so nonchalant about her phone throwing just took the wind right out of Kim's sails. She mumbled "Just forget it," before cuddling up next to him on the bed.

"Why are you so obstinate about it? I have been a cheerleader for along time. I had scrapes and bruises before..."

Jack swallowed visibly and took his time to answer, the bond telling her that he was apprehensive and afraid.

"Kim... When I felt that pain I knew immediately it was you, because seconds before my heart felt like it stopped and I almost doubled over from the feeling. And the last time it felt like this was when you almost died from the cure," he whispered into her hair, the bond giving her the impression of that fear and it made her gasp. "Yeah... I never ever want to feel it again, Kim. I was never more terrified as then. And in that moment Yoshimi and I were of one mind and I felt like I could kill people for hurting you. I never ever want to test what I am capable of when you are hurt."

She felt his ache and shame and, knowing him like she did, she needed something to distract him from going into the deep end of shame and self-loathing.

"I wonder what would happen when I am pregnant? Do you think you'd get the morning sickness? Oh, oh, what about contractions and labor?"

She looked up when she did not hear anything from him, not even through the bond.

Oh...

Jack was in shock. So much so, that he was not breathing, not looking at anything in particular, mouth hanging open and only his heartbeat told her that he did not spontaneously turn into a statue.

Well, if nothing else, she shocked him into stupor and he was no longer arguing with her about cheerleading.

* * *

Jack was sure he entered some sort of catatonic state. He could feel his own heartbeat, but the shock of Kim's words completely robbed him of breath. It was only after she turned to him, her expression going from amused to apprehensive, did he realize that his lungs started burning from the lack of air.

"P...pregnant?" he croaked and then gulped noisily, sucking in air into his lungs.

He knew, of course, that it wasn't an actual problem. Kim told him about how she went on birth control because of the consummation, but at that moment he realized that her being pregnant would be something that would actually happen in the future. And that being pregnant led to giving birth, at which point his brain blanked out.

"Hey... I was joking. There won't be any babies until I am done with college or my dad will disown me and probably try to kill you," Kim said softly and he finally shook off the stupor.

"Joking or not, I hope you plan to use drugs during delivery."

"What? Oh... And I thought you were freaking out over the babies part, no the delivery part."

He felt the tendril of wonder form her and hugged her closer, "Well, I figured you are stuck with me forever. And some point we would wanna kids. It's the part of you being in pain that kind of threw me off."

"You thought of us having kids?" her surprise was so great he felt the rush of it through the bond.

"Yeah, you are so good with them," she kept looking at him in shock and he elaborated. "Remember that holiday party that Rudy had? Well, you were so cute with little children. I dunno... I sort of imagined..." he stopped himself, embarrassed about his own imaginings.

"You imagined me with our kids?" her voice was longer just surprise, but also some sort of happy amusement.

Reassured by her reaction, he went on, "Yes. Two. Boy and a girl. But that was before I realized that I will feel your pain, so now I am revising this to just one kid and maybe a dog."

"Unless it's twins," she said softly.

"Twins? Does it run in your family?"

"Not really. But it would be kind of cool. And we get two kids in one go. Have you thought of names already?" she asked jokingly and he looked away from her, because he had. "You did, didn't you?"

Before he could embarrassed again, she snuggled closer, "Don't worry. I already thought of what my stationary would look like when we got married for real. I was thinking of dropping Beulah from name and go with Kimberly Crawford Brewer. What do you think?"

He was flooded with affection and humor and relaxed, "It does have a nice ring to it. Almost as good as Marie and Michael Brewer."

"Marie and Michael?"

"Uhum, like Mariko and Miguel," he said gently. "He brought Mariko into his world and she made sure that Yoshimi left... You don't like it?"

"It is pretty, but we can think on that later. After all, we have..."

"Forever..." they finished together.

And they did. They had forever and always: to go to college, to graduate, to begin their jobs, to marry properly, to start their family.

The End.

A/N: Here it is, a final chapter in this story. I am so grateful to all of you, who read and reviewed this story. It is so far my most popular one and it made me so happy. As always, I appreciate your input. I have one little plot bunny (total silly and humorous). Also, I did not realize that the supernatural story would be so popular, so if you guys would be interested in another one, let me know.


End file.
